Directly elected mayor In last weeks issue someone wrote in saying if it ain't broke, don't fix it. If that were true we would still be riding around on horses and telling the time by sundial, things change, things move on. Lez has put forward the idea for the borough to debate knowing that in other places it has been successful, he has also put himself forward for the job because he has the inspiration and the experience needed to carry it off, this has evoked some odd responses. Mike Jones thinks it would be bad for democracy as it would give one person to much power, Max Hunt on the other hand says it would only be any use if it had more power, which is right? well, neither of them, as it stands a directly elected mayor would have sufficient strength to make it work. Most peoples perception of democracy is that you elect someone on what they say they're going to do, you give them the power, you give them the time to do it and if they fail, you sack them, unlike the present system which is so weighed against the electors it allows councils to constantly dodge the bullet. Charnwood Borough is at a crossroads, it has an identity crisis and huge decisions looming up on it in the next few years, it needs one person with the courage and determination to steer it in the right direction and I hope that person will be Lez Cope-Newman. R.D.Seal < back to top |
Freedom of the press I was very pleased to see the Echo defend itself so vigorously against a blatant attack by Geoff Gay, on the subject of an elected mayor, so obviously trying to quell the freedom of the press and of free speech in general. The Echo has always played it down the middle, giving both sides a fair hearing and to suggest they are leaning one way because they're the only local paper, as if that's their fault. A great many people do not think this is a non issue and the Echo is only using it's columns to widen the debate to as many people as possible, because it is a subject that's in the public interest. If the Echo didn't do it, that would only force up an underground press and when that happens you know democracy has gone out the window. Mr Gay accuses the Echo of opportunism which suggests they are taking advantage of a situation, does he think there is a situation to allow opportunity and if so would he care to explain what it is? The Echo printed a sentence somewhere that Mr Gay has picked up on, it goes, "the voice of the people is the most democratic of all." And he asks, "What on Earth is that supposed to mean? To most of us it simply means " the people will decide." Given the press is allowed to tell us. R.D. Seal < back to top |
Two tier Borough In last weeks letters to the editor, Coun Hunt sent in a piece headed, blaming the wrong council. In it he mentions how Mr Binns had complained to the council about to many road signs, I have no idea about the merits of Mr Binns complaint one way or the other, but I'm sure Coun Hunt's reply gave him great comfort, placing the blame on Leicestershire County Council. He explains that LCC and CBC are two separate organisations so I can hardly accuse him of dodging the bullet or even of passing the buck. He goes on to say, " This two tier county/borough business is annoying". With this in mind, may I ask, doe's he think an elected mayor would be in a better position to deal with Leicestershire County Council? R.D. Seal < back to top |
In response to Mr Hunt Mr Hunt. Thank you for replying to my question, do you think an elected mayor would be better placed to deal with the County Council. You speak of a couple of places where they are having problems with the new system.
It is worth mentioning these councils were having difficulties before the change, that may be why they were among the early ones to move over. Change is rarely easy but most that have are doing very well, even if they've encountered a stumble or two at the start.
Judging from the words of the Mayor of Mansfield and the Leader of Leicestershire County Council some of the information you gave us was, to say the least, misleading. The remainder does little to answer the original question.
The government asking, possibly at some point in the future, if councils would like a single tier status had nothing to do with the question in hand. I'm sure LCC would appreciate the hand of friendship from any new mayor.
I'm sorry but I must decline your invitation to go charging after single tier status. It is not my intention to try and change the world, just to debate the pro's and con's of both the local government systems on offer.
When you say Charnwood Borough Council and the County Council are both our councils, I cannot agree.
CBC is our only elected council, it is elected to represent the people of this borough in all matters, including those with the County Council.
If that were not the case then maybe we should look toward single tier status.
As to where the buck stops, it would make no difference if we had a fifty tier system, the buck stops squarely at the door of CBC and nowhere else.
When Lez Cope- Newman talks of taking the politics out of local government, this is just the sort of thing he means.
Let's get back to the question as to whether an elected mayor would fair better with the County Council. I think the answer is yes. The agenda would be clearer, it will have been put before the people and agreed, and it will carry a greater sense of urgency.
Can we now move on to the next question. Would the council explain to the followers of this debate why it attaches so much importance in maintaining the status quo? R.D. Seal < back to top |
Accountability At last, Mr Hunt publicly acknowledges the peoples desire for the council to be more accountable. All the evidence points this way, he says. In his letter of last week he makes no mention of who should take this responsibility, except of course the council, a sort of , *collective responsibility*. Which is what we already have.
He also thinks obtaining single status for the borough will make the council seem more accountable, which by cutting out the middle man would go some way toward this end, however when the electorate again becomes upset with the council, it couldn't simply sack it and the system of electing councillors doesn't lend itself to that aim either. Accountability in this system is in fact, non existent.
Neither was there mention of the other *live issue*, that of adopting the mayoral system of local government, a system that leaves no doubt as to whom is accountable. What the people want is someone they can elect on sound policies, then either, heap praise upon for a job well done or vent their feelings through the ballot box if he or she, fails to deliver.
I'm sure like myself Mr Hunt has followed with interest the Governments policy of supporting councils to move to the mayoral system. For councils that show intent in doing so, a promise of more power is offered, in most cases this means granting them unitary status.
It appears Mr Hunt is now going all out to gain unitary status for Charnwood, at one point even offering me the job.
In view of his opposition to the mayoral system and the Governments and peoples preference the two go together, may I ask him, how he sees his aim being achieved?
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A pop at Lez Cope Newman Here we go again! Now Mr Hand has a pop at Lez Cope-Newman, he asks why is the Echo showing bias towards Lez Cope-Newman. Of all the questions floating around Loughborough why ask this. Why not ask why the Wharf Project was being so badly handled until public pressure caused the council to have a rethink, why not ask what is going to happen to the Great Central Railway if the present plans for the area go ahead, why not ask why the Rushes Centre was built in the wrong place or even built at all, why not ask do we really need or want so much pedestrianization, why not ask if we want the A6 moving, causing an even greater chaotic road system than we already have, why not ask why the council seems so reluctant to debate the elected mayoral issue, to name just a few of the big questions he could have asked.
Instead he berates Lez Cope-Newman as some sort of joke figure and once again the free press is criticised for doing its job. What Lez Cope-Newman does is news, what Lez Cope-Newman says is news, the issue of an elected mayor is news, the Loughborough Echo is a NEWSpaper. You know what they say about shooting the messenger, they've either got something to hide or they're afraid.
I ask, where was the convincing argument, this is not about Lez Cope-Newmans ego, its about changing the system of local government, these stabs into thin air are getting you nowhere. If anyone thinks Lez Cope-Newman is a flash in the pan, they'd better start thinking again, he's in this all the way, this is just the beginning, there's plenty more to come.
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Mike Jones joins the debate May I say how pleased I am that Mike Jones has decided to join the elected mayor debate, which he claims to date, has been to one sided. I have been calling for a debate for weeks now, some sporadic debate has taken place, so lets hope Mr Jones stays with it, for as he says in the last paragraph of the article that appeared in last weeks issue of this paper, he like myself wants the people to have an understanding of this matter before signing up to it. It has always been my intention to bare the facts of both systems and their effects on local government before the people, that they be better placed to make an educated judgement on the system they want for this borough.
Mr Jones has hit the canvas with a broad brush, only Rolf Harris can get away with this, we need more detail, lets be honest, we will never be the genius that is Rolf.
Apart from a list of objections, Mr Jones has made several statements/remarks within the content of last weeks article,and it is some of these that I am taking up in this letter. The list I feel would be to much to deal with in one go, and hope over the coming weeks to do so, with the perseverance of this medium and Mr Jones.
For a start lets look at some of the words Mr Jones has chosen to use."Dangerous concept". Even though most of the free world have elected mayors for their towns and cities. "Deeply suspicious of anyone who sought such personal power".
No mayor has personal power,what mayor is going to make poor decisions? He/she would soon be out on their ear, and especially so if they represent a major political party. The only power an elected mayor receives is that given to him/her by the people, the only decisions a mayor can make would those where the majority of the people are in agreement with. "Bad for democracy". This is the broadest brush Mr Jones could find and defies any logical reply at this stage. I ask Mr Jones to clarify this statement with more detail.
"Undemocratic arrangement". I'm not quite sure what arrangement is meant by this, so I'll go with this interpretation. An elected mayor would form a cabinet and various committees drawn from the elected councillors. The committees would be responsible for different areas of interest and would present reports and recommendations to the mayor, who then makes the final decision, much the same as takes place now,except with the mayor making the final decision he /she also carries the can if it goes pear shaped, which is what we don't have now. It also shows that the mayor has to pick one of the recommendations put before him and not pluck an answer out of thin air to suit his/her purposes, as Mr Jones suggests. What could be a more democratic arrangement than that?
"Dangerous concept". "Deeply suspicious". "Bad for democracy". "Undemocratic arrangement". These words have been carefully chosen to frighten people away from the idea of an elected mayor. I dismiss them all as nothing more than scare'mongering.
As I read last weeks article, I couldn't help thinking Mr Jones has already accepted the inevitable. Why else would he tell us about his length of service, list the posts he's held, which by the way are handed out on the basis "whose turn is it to do this job". It's not as if he were elected by the people to any of these positions, except that of councillor. A list of achievements rather than appointments would have been much more interesting, there, I've given you the opportunity, hereafter I spend no more time on your bid for pole position as the Labour candidate for the mayor elect. That's it for now, over to you Mr Jones.
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