Missing the Point

The Lib Dems were up to their normal tricks again today.

For the second month on the trot they had a motion at Full Council about our Policy Development Groups, arguing that they should be held in public.

There is not an organisation in the world that does not have some sort of private meeting to discuss policy - indeed there are Lib Dem Councillors who sit on public boards that meet in private. The argument is a cheap attempt to score points, nothing more, nothing less. It is to our credit as a Conservative Group, that we have PDGs to allow them to input into the debate. Making them public would inhibit many of the suggestions and comments that need to be thrown into the melting pot, because Councillors would be fearful of press and voter reaction. Of course, all our policies are decided in public and opposition can have their say, through Scrutiny Committees, by speaking at Cabinet, or voting in Full Council. Our major policies go through huge consultation exercises.

Because they have lost the argument, the Lib Dems have thrown their toys out of the cot and have decided not to take part in PDGs. I presume this means the Lib Dems Nationally are intending to walk out of Parliament because they are not using Proportional Representation!

One of their Councillors had the nerve to stand up and suggest that this episode showed that the Conservatives hadn't learned from the expenses scandal. Strange that, they have withdrawn from a fairly large portion of their workload and, to my knowledge, have not yet requested a reduction in their allowances.