16
The Leader of the Council presented the report on the proposed change of the Governance System to Council for consideration and proposed its approval.
The Leader of the Council reported that the current Administration has, since its manifesto pledge in the elections of 2019, set out its intention to pursue a move to the ‘Leader-Cabinet’ governance system.
The Leader of the Council reported that since coming into power, the Administration has been clear in its intention to revert to Cabinet system. The proposal now put forward by the Administration is to move the Council to the ‘Leader-Cabinet’ system from May 2023. It is the view of the Administration that the adoption of the ‘Leader-Cabinet’ governance option will strengthen local democracy and make it more effective and efficient for the Council to transact business. The adoption of a ‘Leader-Cabinet’ model will help to deliver the Council’s corporate priorities in a number of ways, including:
- a more consistent, clearer, proportionate and efficient mechanism for decision making, ensuring increased officer and Councillor capacity for delivery;
- greater levels of openness, transparency and collaboration through a strong Scrutiny Committee function, with legally enshrined mechanisms e.g. ‘Key Decision’ thresholds and ‘Call-ins’
- increased responsibility, separation, and clarification of functions leading to increased accountability to Council and the electorate;
- parity and flexibility for the leader and Cabinet to represent the Borough of Great Yarmouth and secure its influence within Norfolk.
The Leader of the Council requested that Council:-
(i) Adopt the ‘Leader-Cabinet’ form of governance, to be effective from the Annual Meeting of Council in May 2023 in accordance with the provisions of the Localism Act 2011; and
(ii) Approve the proposed structures and the approach to preparatory work as set out in this report.
The motion for approval was seconded by Councillor Wells who reserved his right to speak last in the debate.
Councillor Wainwright proposed an amendment to the proposition; that the Committee System of Governance be retained by the Council. Under the Governance System six Council Portfolio Holders would make all the decisions making the vast majority of Councillors redundant from the decision-making process. The Committee System was democratic and allowed all Councillors to have a say to reflect the views of their ward members.
Councillor Wainwright proposed that a referendum be held to allow the residents of the Borough to decide how their Council was run. Councillor Wainwright pledged that if Labour won the 2023 Borough Elections, that he would overturn this decision before Annual Council and the Committee form of governance would remain.
This motion was seconded by Councillor Jeal.
The Monitoring Officer reported that this could not be considered as an amendment to the proposal as it was purely a change of subject matter to reverse the proposal. His Worship, The Mayor, Councillor Plant reported that as this was not an amendment, no vote would be taken.
Councillor Jeal reported that as one of the longest serving Councillors that he proposed that the Committee form of governance be retained as it was the fairest form of governance unlike cabinet which gave all the power to six Councillors.
Councillor Myers urged those former UKIP Councillors who were now part of the Conservatives, to remember their 2015 manifesto pledge to return to the committee governance system. Councillor Myers reminded Council that although the Scrutiny Committee could call in decisions they did not have the power to overturn them.
Councillor Thompson congratulated His Worship, The Mayor, Councillor Plant on his election to office. Councillor Thompson asked why the rush; and whether the Leader would consider postponing the proposition to after the Borough elections in 2023 which was less than a year away. The Committee form of governance did not stifle debate and allowed Councillors to find the best way forward together. Residents of the Borough were struggling financially and the Council needed to use their funds wisely and not waste them introducing a new form of governance when the existing model worked perfectly well. Councillor Thompson proposed an amendment that the proposal be deferred for 12 months.
Councillor A Wright reported that the Cabinet System was akin to a dictatorship and that Council should remain as a committee form of governance which was democratic.
Councillor Robinson-Payne reiterated the comments made by Councillor Myers and urged the former UKIP Councillors to stick with their manifesto pledge and support the committee form of governance. cabinet would result in too much power in too few hands.
Councillor Smith-Clare reported that Cabinet would be an exclusive club of six people making all the decisions and holding all the cards when consulting all the Councillors would result in better, cohesive decision-making to improve the lives of all the residents of the borough.
Councillor Williamson reported that he had served under both systems and the Committee system was open, transparent and better for the residents and he implored all Councillors to vote against the proposal.
Councillor Cordiner-Achenbach reported that returning to the Cabinet system would result in greater voter apathy at the next election and prevent ordinary working people of the borough aspiring to become local Councillors due to lack of engagement between Council and its constituents.
Councillor C Walker reported that the return to the cabinet system was one of the reasons for her not standing as a Councillor in next years election as it was undemocratic.
Councillor Candon congratulated His Worship, The Mayor, Councillor Plant, on his election to the office of mayor. Councillor Candon reported that Cabinet was a streamlined form of governance which would save money and enable faster decision-making and was more aligned to Central Government. Cabinet would result in clarity of accountability and increase speed of decision-making to help the communities and residents of this Borough.
Councillor Wells reminded Council that the change of governance was a manifesto promise of the Conservative Group made in 2019 and which was being enacted now after being put on hold due to the pandemic. A Cabinet system would be far more economic to operate, offer quicker decisions to help residents through the cost-of-living crisis which the country was trying to navigate.
Councillor Wainwright asked a point of order in regard to what constituted a motion. The Monitoring officer reported that a motion was a proposal which contained a recommendation.
The Leader of the Council summed up his proposal to Council and Council undertook a vote by a show of hands.
Councillor A Wright asked for a point of order and for a recorded vote to be undertake. His Worship, The Mayor, Councillor Plant informed Councillor A Wright that the vote had already been called and therefore it was too late to request a recorded vote.
Proposer: Councillor Smith
Seconder: Councillor Wells
That Council:-
(i) Adopt the ‘Leader-Cabinet’ form of governance, to be effective from the Annual Meeting of Council in May 2023 in accordance with the provisions of the Localism Act 2011; and
(ii) Approve the proposed structures and the approach to preparatory work as set out in this report.
CARRIED
Councillors Cordiner-Achenbach, Fairhead, Jeal, Martin, Myers, Robinson-Payne, Smith-Clare, Thompson, Myers, Wainwright, B Walker, C Walker, B Wright, T Wright and Williamson requested that it be recorded that they had voted against the recommendation.