Storm over political posturing

LABOUR councillors are to put a motion to the next meeting of Warrington Borough Council calling for an end to “political posturing” and “contrived questions” which they claim are leading to meetings going on until 10pm.
The motion will be moved by ex-Mayor Coun Linda Dirir (pictured) and seconded by Labour Group leader Coun Terry O’Neill.
It is almost certain to provoke a political row.
The motion calls for an end to “political posturing with contrived questions from council members to executive members of the same ruling groups and council meetings that go on until 10pm with eight minute pre-prepared speeches.”
It asks the council to agree to placing an item on the agenda for the next meeting entitled “executive members reports”, which would be verbal reports by members of the executive board, in order to improve debate, democracy and transparency.
The Labour members ask that a report be prepared on appropriate amendments to the council’s constitution to allow such an item to appear on the agenda for all meetings of the full council.
They ask the council to endeavour to conduct meetings in a “more open, constructive, efficient, businesslike, democratic, interesting manner, where genuine questions with or without notice, from the opposition group will be welcome and given priority.”
Finally, the motion urges the council leader, Coun Ian Marks, to show he has full confidence in the members of the executive board to provide their own reports at council, verbal or written, and to answer questions without notice on the scope of their portfolios.
This, the motion adds, is a necessary requisite skill for executive board members and is reflected in their basic and special responsibility allowance of £16,121.