Tea with the Queen = Council Meeting cancelled (Swindon Liberal Democrats)

Swindon Liberal Democrats <info@swindonlibdems.org>

Tea with the Queen = Council Meeting cancelled

July 14, 2005 4:31 PM

Liberal Democrats have slammed the decision to change the meeting day of Full Council to allow the Mayor to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace.

Cllr Wendy Johnson, Liberal Democrat Leader said:

"It is ridiculous that the Conservatives running the Council should change the dates of important Council meetings without consulting the opposition parties on the Council.

"I am not opposed to the Mayor representing our town by attending civic events, but I do not understand why planned meetings have to be changed to accommodate his diary. In Swindon we elect a Deputy Mayor to carry out duties when the Mayor is not available. Why can't the Deputy Mayor chair the Full Council meeting on the Thursday?

"The Conservatives have re-written the constitution to frustrate opposition councillors joining in discussion at key meetings. Now they are changing meeting dates to reduce opportunities for questioning and challenge still further."

The date for the next full Council meeting, where the ruling Conservative Cabinet can be questioned by all councillors, has been changed at very short notice so that the Mayor can attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace at 2.30pm next Thursday. The meeting was due to start at 7pm on the same evening.

Cllr Johnson continued:

"I know of a number of councillors who are unable to make the rescheduled Full Council meeting on Wednesday because of other commitments. I have a business meeting in London, which was specifically moved so that it did not clash with the Thursday meeting. Now the Tories have changed the Council meeting to a Wednesday, I will be unable to attend the Council Meeting and will have to submit my apologies. Equally members of the public may not know of this change and may wish to attend.

"What is particularly upsetting is that Cllr Bawden gave his word on 9 June that the dates of Council Meetings would not be changed without consulting Opposition Group Leaders. I was not consulted about the change. This shows a lack of respect for other members of the Council and indeed the public."