Gloucester City Council’s Liberal Democrats have increased the number of top political jobs in their administration costing the taxpayer £23,500 a year amid concerns over “disappearing democracy” as scrutiny roles are cut. The authority’s new leader Jeremy Hilton (LD, Kingsholm and Wotton) announced his new cabinet yesterday shortly after his election.
But some of the new minority administration’s initial moves have already caused a stir among the opposition ranks who question the need to increase the number of cabinet roles from five to seven. There was also concern among the Conservative opposition ranks that the scrutiny committee will have three fewer members able to ask questions of the council’s leaders.
Veteran Tory Councillor Andrew Gravells (C, Abbeydale) said the council has listened over several years to how Cllr Hilton referred to the previous Tory administration as the “vanishing council”. But he fears the decisions taken to increase cabinet posts while cutting the number of councillors who can quiz council chiefs is a case of “disappearing democracy”.
MORE NEWS: Gloucester Tall Ships Festival: Exact moment vessels will start to arrive at the Docks
“One thing we got right was scrutiny,” he said. “We had full scrutiny committees and we were not frightened of you guys coming along to overview and scrutiny or audit and ask us the toughest questions you could think of.
“So we move from the disappearing council, to the disappearing democracy. The first thing you’ve done is reduce the number of members on the overview and scrutiny committee. What on earth have you got to fear?
“You should be happy to work with our experience and our questions and ideas. But you are the administration, you are the boss and the rest of you, we don’t want you on scrutiny.
“Disappearing council? I don’t think so but disappearing democracy… We will watch you like a hawk.”
And Labour group leader Terry Pullen (L, Moreland) pointed out that the £23,500 being set aside to pay for the new cabinet positions would be better spent on helping the city’s most vulnerable residents. “We are a bit worried your first priority is to increase the cabinet from five to seven people,” he said.
“The previous Conservative group ran very well with five. You’ve gone to seven.
“What you haven’t told us is that it will cost £23,500. That’s money that can be spent on far better things.
“How many people are facing homelessness and eviction? That’s an awful lot of money.
“What about small community and voluntary organisations. £23,500 will go an awful long way to support them.”
He also criticised the shrinking of scrutiny committees. “We thought you were the Liberal Democrat party.
“Democracy… Well reducing people on committees is hardly democratic, is it?”
Cllr Hilton said the extra cabinet roles are needed to better run the city council and to get it on an even keel as it is currently “in intensive care”. He also said the committee numbers are being reduced because it is more efficient.
“Andrew Gravells makes a big complaint that the overview and scrutiny committee should be 17 members. That is too big.
“His group that he chairs at Shire Hall, which is a much bigger authority, guess how many members it’s got madam Mayor, 13.
“How many members has this new scrutiny committee got? It has got 13.”
He said they needed to rebalance the situation because “in the old council there were just five members in the exclusive club”.
“We are going to have seven members of the cabinet and it is going to be more collaborative,” he added. “Those members are going to have more meetings with members of the red, blue and purple team.
“This is the reason why I have set down; we need at least seven members of the cabinet. Cheltenham has got nine, the Cotswolds has got eight and the Forest of Dean has got seven.
“So we are not exceptional. The legal limit is 10. We are nowhere near that.”
The new Liberal Democrat cabinet is:
Leader and cabinet member for regeneration – Councillor Jeremy Hilton
Deputy leader and cabinet member for resources – Councillor Declan Wilson
Cabinet member for the environment – Councillor Sebastian Field
Cabinet member for housing – Councillor Luke Shervey
Cabinet member for planning – Councillor Sarah Sawyer
Cabinet member for community engagement – Councillor Rebecca Trimnell
Cabinet member for culture and leisure – Councillor Caroline Courtney
Cabinet support member – Ashley Bowkett (non-voting)