Democracy? No, Let's Chuck Out Standing Orders Instead! (Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats)

Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats <info@oxfordshirelibdems.org.uk>

Democracy? No, Let's Chuck Out Standing Orders Instead!

January 8, 2008 12:04 PM

In an extraordinary move today Conservatives and Labour formed an unholy alliance to ensure that a Liberal Democrat amendment on waste disposal was not discussed at the Oxfordshire full Council meeting. A debate was on the agenda papers, facilitated by a motion from the Conservative Cabinet member, but rather than discuss the motion, and then have to discuss the Lib Dem amendment, the motion was withdrawn and Council's Standing Orders were suspended to allow the debate to continue but without either motion nor amendment.

Cllr Zoé Patrick, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, said, "I am truly stunned by the devious and underhand way that the Council's Constitution has been manipulated and all just to avoid having to discuss our amendment. I have never known anything like this happen before! This sets a very dangerous precedent. The Council's Constitution and Standing Orders are where the rights of Councillors are enshrined. If the Constitution can be ignored like this, on a political whim, where will it end? Next time the Official Opposition put down an amendment or a motion that the Tory Administration does not like will they suspend Standing Orders again to rule it out of order?"

The amendment that caused such anxiety, that the way the Council runs its business had to be overturned, merely regretted that the result of the procurement process was to leave Energy from Waste as the only process to be considered by the Cabinet. It also asked for the impact of carbon trading schemes to be thought about before the Cabinet sign a contract for disposing of Oxfordshire's residual waste for a long time.

Cllr Johnston, who was to move the amendment originally, said, "I am surprised that the Tories have turned down the chance to consider carbon trading schemes, which could impact hugely on any scheme chosen by the Cabinet. And I am hugely shocked that Council was not allowed to express any opinion on the result of the procurement process in a vote. This stifles democracy and I am appalled that Labour joined the Tories in an unholy alliance to prevent the other two democratically elected groups on this Council expressing their views in the usual fashion - by voting!"

Bob added, "Liberal Democrats have long campaigned that the County Council should look to the best environmental option, and we welcome the chance to reiterate this today, even if we are not allowed to do this by way of an amendment and vote.

"Disposing of the County's waste is the biggest single issue facing us for many years, and Liberal Democrats are treating it with the seriousness it deserves. It is a shame that two of the other parties on this Council have twisted the rules to suit their own ends. Their political games are clearly more important to them than what actually happens to our waste."