Tuesday 21 December 2010

The future of the town is at stake.

Roy Bullock has suffered a further setback as  Leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.  The Conservative Group has ratified the decision of no confidence. However he remains Leader until the new one is voted in at the next meeting of the council.

Will he stand as a candidate when the Conservative Group meets to elect a person to put forward to the Council as the next Leader?  Press reports indicate that there could be up to seven candidates.  Should Roy join the hustings then, if the election is by the first past the post method, he might even win if those opposed to him split their votes.

Whom the next Leader of the council is is of immense importance.  Not only does the Leader select his/her cabinet, but also sets the 'tone' of the administration.  Not only that, the new Leader may have the ear of those opposed to any redevelopment of the town centre 'The Aspics' or of those who wish to secure the long-term economic and social well-being of the borough: 'The Modernisers'. For my part, I fall into the latter group.

There is a lot at stake but sadly the decision on the new Leader will be made behind closed doors.  The citizens will be in the street pressing their noses against the windows, whilst inside the decisions are being taken.  I have to say that I have little confidence in the runners and riders so far announced.

Under the Labour government local authorities had to meet many targets and spend ring-fenced money.  They were little more than agents of central government.  Under the Conservatives targets for the most part have been scrapped and ring-fencing abolished.  This will give far more discretion to local authorities. 

It is indeed ironic that the town's MP Greg Clark, has been at the forefront of the localism agenda. The future direction of the borough will be decided by the choice of Leader, yet we, the electorate, whom councillors are supposed to serve are frozen out of the debate as to what that future should be.

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