Labour wants to scrap the current system of council commitees and replace them with a cabinet – a move which opposition councillors says effectively locks them out of decision-making.
Under the cabinet system, which is used by most local authorities, the leader of the council appoints up to nine members with different responsiblities, who then meet on a frequent basis in public.
Most if not all of the councillors are likely to be Labour members, meaning the Greens, Tories and independents will have less of a say on most decisions.
However, councils using this system do also need to maintain an overview and scrutiny committee, which members of opposition parties sit on.
Non-political regulatory committees such as planning, licensing and audit and standards will remain as they are.
Labour Leader of the Council, Bella Sankey said: “We are under a duty to keep our governance arrangements under review and having looked at the various options available to local councils we are proposing a move to the cabinet model of governance at Brighton and Hove, following in the footsteps of most other local authorities, including many successful Labour-led ones.
“Above all else, we want to engage meaningfully with residents and deliver for our city at pace, including on the priorities in our manifesto, which is the platform on which we stood and secured a majority.
“With this mandate from residents, we owe it to them to ensure the governance arrangements of the council reflect its political make up and are fit for purpose.
“I am confident that moving to a cabinet model will improve our ability to lead the organisation and help us to deliver the policy commitments we set out in our manifesto, more efficiently.
“One of the fundamental principles of the move will be greater openness and engagement with the public. As we move forward with this process, we will be seeking residents views on how we best do this under the new model.”
Cllr Steve Davis, Green group convenor and leader of the opposition, said: “This a hugely disappointing decision by Labour, but sadly not a surprising one.
“Since securing a majority last May – a majority it is worth noting that was only achieved with less than half the votes cast in the city – Labour has seemed determined to limit the opportunity for opposition councillors to scrutinise decision making.
“Once the move to a cabinet system is confirmed, the likelihood is that decisions taken on the future of the city will now be taken by a handful of Labour councillors.
“That is a further backward step following previous changes which limited the ability of opposition councillors – councillors who collectively represent more than half the voters in this city – to table notices of motion or influence council proceedings.
“This decision effectively blocks opposition councillors – and presumably a large number of Labour backbenchers – from actively participating in town hall proceedings.
“The upshot of this should be clear to Labour leadership and residents alike: every decision taken by the council, every cut to a valued service, and every unpopular policy is on Labour.”
An initial officer report setting out the proposed changes to the council’s constitution and moving to a new system of democratic governance will be presented to members at the Strategy, Finance and City Regeneration Committee on 14 March, where if agreed a further report would be brought to the next meeting of Full Council on 28 March proposing that the new system is adopted at Annual Council in May 2024.
So Brighton Labour’s dismantling of scrutiny and democracy continues. Why does Bella Sankey think she has a mandate to do this when it wasn’t in their manifesto?
Bella’s ego is out of control. Which is why she’s not longer on Keir’s Christmas card list after their initial love-in and he has blocked her dream to be fast tracked to MP after she displeased him with her conduct and he realised she wasn’t a safe pair of hands. But maybe we shouldn’t be too worried about this announcement. As Napoleon said ‘Never interfere with an enemy while he’s in the process of destroying himself.’ Perhaps Bella is simply bringing this day forward for us all with this insane plan which will earn her no Brownie points with anyone. In which case, bring it on, I say.
True.
Just another way for them to control.
Interesting that the greens are against cabinet system – will they be encouraging the Green leader of Lewes Council to abolish their cabinet? I won’t hold my breathe. Hypocrisy
Did they bring in a cabinet system in Lewes or inherit it?
The decision-making by the Greens is very decentralised, which would explain this.
This may be inconsistent but it is not hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is – for example – not mentioning that you plan to make a fundamental change to a City’s governance during an election campaign.
That’s not hypocrisy either. That’s omission.
You’re right about the terminology, come to think of it. But it’s a major omission for Labour not to have mentioned an intention to do this, and I must say it;’s a bit depressing that you feel the need to defend it, because it’s indefensible really.
Cabinets benefit whomever is in majority, it’s true because it streamlines a lot of the decision making process but marginalises minority opinion.
It’s typical to have a scrutiny committee in such a system, and that’s where the minority parties will mainly lie.
Absolutely right to get the damaging Green’s and Conservative’s locked out of decision making. The city has voted for a majority Labour council. Having cross party committee’s only makes sense in a minority council.
They are already locked out by the Labour majority.
This proposal will mean that everyone else is locked out too, and that labour will be able to rule without scrutiny and in secret.
Brighton and Hove is proud of its diversity and this is not well served by a one party state.
I agree that a cabinet would never work well in a hung council of yesteryear. A majority council though, should streamline decision-making and create greater party cohesion.
It also puts a lot more emphasis on the voting public to be very discerning, more so then previous, on who they choose to elect.
Last time Labour did this, they ended up losing their majority and handing the council to the Tories. It bred in-fighting in Labour ranks between the Cabinet clique and the rest. And it seemed to bring out the very worst in some Cabinet Members.
You can bet the officers want it, but if I were Labour, I’d steer well clear. Capable politicians welcome the scrutiny of all-party committees.
Officers might well argue that it will speed up decision-making, but urgent decisions can already be made quickly. All this will do is make it easier to make bad decisions behind the public’s back.
Expect it to be used to bulldozer through the closure of more schools, nursing homes and other services.
It’s a lazy ploy, a sad day for local democracy and a stain on Labour’s record so far.
The Greens pledged to bring back Committees in 2011 and won the most seats. Unless your elected Councillors are in the Cabinet, you have no voice in the decisions being made. Next, Labour will want a London-style Mayor, and we can exclude even more of our elected representatives from actually being able to represent us.
Never mind councillors, moving to a cabinet system means people who live here are purposefully left in the dark about council tax payer money decisions. At the moment officers and councillors have to detail the purpose behind their decisions and share costs etc with the public that’s why they publish committee reports for everyone to see. For eg you can read the councils budget line by line on it’s website right now.
Cabinet means they take decisions behind closed doors and that’s that. Labour showing they won’t be challenged. Real, real shame for the city I think of all the places I’ve lived here people really do get involved in council decisions. I guess Labour don’t like that!
Blaririte power grab.
True.
Good work Labour limit the damage the greens and conservatives can do to the City. We will be lumbered with the i360 debt for years.
Limiting debate and ideas before making decisions can only harm the city. That’s why consultations are so important and why the city suffered when the greens effectively removed them.
With just a handful of people making decisions, mistakes will happen. Labour make mistakes too. Quite a few u turns already.
The council committees aren’t perfect, but a cabinet system is worse. It’s also a trap for labour as when mistakes happen it’ll be them and only them to blame.
Yes but there is a danger of going bankrupt and and a certain urgency around it. I don’t think the greens the greens grasp the severity of the situation. We can’t afford to fund trade unions and charity’s and I don’t trust the conservatives to look after anyone. We are wasting 2mill a year on the i360 which could have been spent elsewhere. Time for the adults to take control. If we go bankrupt the government will step In and will show no compassion with their cuts.
Not sure you get how things are done atm
Council committees currently have an unbuilt Lab majority because Lab have Clear majority of councillors. This means that any decision labour wish to make they are able to regardless of the green or con faces at the table. The difference with a cabinet is that there will be less scrutiny, less chance for non labour cllrs to question, inform and improve policy.
Although Labour have a majority, many people voted for cllrs of other parties or indies, and silencing them in this manner although they collectively received more votes than labour at the election disenfranchises those voters.
Having policy created in secret and rubber stamped in the Labour echo chamber is a recipe for failure.
It’s failing at the moment and has been for years. The greens just seem to champion things but have no financial awareness. The conservatives can just suggest whatever they want as they know they will never be trusted with power. I’m all for trying something new as the current system isn’t working. Don’t fear change before we try it.
They need to get rid of VG3 sharpish!
£6m cost to the local taxpayer and rising!
Bella – get a grip! Sack Muten!
Wondered how long this would take. The idea has been mooted before and dropped. La Sankey obviously feels like Bella the Omnipotent. As it wasn’t in the manifesto and she has no mandate for it, then perhaps she’d like to put it to a citywide referendum? Thought not. Convenient and easier for her that she might get to bulldoze through anything she fancies, but very bad news for the taxpayers and other residents,.
Most councils might use the cabinet system (and look how well that’s turned out – not).
Ever since Brexit, referendums get thrown about a lot, unfortunately, they hold absolutely no power legally, and their results aren’t a great source of reliable data unless there is close to 100% turnout.
If Labour wants to prioritise their pledges can I point them to our amazing nursery school at St Peter’s which has seen a 70% increase in demand in just over a year. Perhaps keeping it open instead of closing it would be more in line to your promise of “increasing preschool provision”? Don’t pay lip service- deliver on your promise to the community of South Portslade.
Hear hear. Well said!
Bella the elected Mayor – what do all the others get up to?
This was leaked at the start of the LABOUR administration and they were forced to row back. They want a secret cabinet system to lock the public they are supposed to serve out of democracy. I guarantee this will be their downfall if they go ahead. Bella’s already on borrowed time as Council Leader with a certain deputy keen to topple her. New balls please.
Right.
So, who are these ‘successful’ Labour Councils with a cabinet system? Obviously not Birmingham, the absolute pits of unsuccessful local government, which is Labour-controlled on a Cabinet system and look what’s happened there.
Much as I’m not a Steve Davis fan, his constituents did elect him, so he’s entitled to a voice, however much many of us disagree with him. Ditto with the significant number of councillors from other parties. (For these purposes we’ll ignore the expelled ex-Labour pair who just turn up occasionally so that they continue to get their allowances.) And, as someone says, what about the Lab councillors who are not chosen/annointed by Sankey to be in the Cabinet? They could, theoretically, sling her out as leader, given their numbers, and I suggest they give it serious consideration.
Additionally, what tame council officer has been persuaded to author the report on the subject? Presumably it will come out under the name of the Director of Governance etc?
I don’t often agree with Barry above but I do 100% on this.
B&H was once referred to as Stalingrad-on-Sea by the press and it looks like we;re going back to that.
BS has very much overreached herself now and this will all end in tears -for her and us. She and her ego-trip need to go – and fast!
Starting to sound like a dictatorship!
No, starting to sound like a standard cabinet. Might be worth reminding how central government is formed?
This was not in their manifesto and should not be happening.
The really insidious thing about the cabinet system in local government is that it allows parties who do not have an overall majority to hold all the power. It would mean that Labour could lose (say) 15 of their seats and still do pretty much what they wanted after the next election.
Blairite control-freakery at its very worst.