Falkirk Council: UNITEd in Contempt Non-Aligned Independent Group (NAIG) Press Statement 30.09.2013 On the very day that INEOS management announced that the Grangemouth Refinery will close in 2017, Falkirk Council dismissed 6 motions, one specifically addressed to the critical matter of Grangemouth and industrial action. It was the latest shocking incident of Labour contempt and apathy for the Falkirk electorate. Councillor Brian McCabe of the Non-Aligned Independent Group said, “I simply can’t get my head round how arrogant this Labour administration have become; they clearly don’t give a fig about what happens in our region. As long as they have their SRA’s (Special Responsibility Allowances), the business of Falkirk Council can fester on the vine.” In yet another further erosion of the opposition’s limited ability to participate in local government, following last week’s 8 Motions put forward by the opposition members and ruled incompetent by Pat Reid, the 6 motions tabled today had to be withdrawn, so denying elected SNP & NAIG councillors the democratic right to represent their electorate at Full Council. It was a disgrace! “At the beginning of the meeting I declared my membership of the Unite Union and referred to the union membership of some others in the Labour ranks”, said NAIG Chairman, Cllr Robert Spears. “You can imagine my astonishment when I heard a Labour administration dismiss this emergency motion where they could have rendered assistance to their Unite brothers & sisters, but instead wished to refer the matter to the Executive.” The Council’s Executive is not due to meet until the 8th October! “The whole raison d’etre of the council’s new decision making structures is that we can make decisions quickly and effectively”, continued Cllr Spears. “What doe this say to our electorate where we can’t even agree to talk about an emergency situation which could effectively paralyse the country?” More specifically, what does this say of Falkirk Labour’s relations with the Unite Union, where imminent industrial action is being considered and the council’s Labour councillors and fellow Unite members are not even interested in averting this action? Today in council was another stake through the heart of democracy. Pat Reid, empowered by a council decision and honoured with the position of Provost, has effectively grabbed total control of the democratic process and illustrated this position when he used his casting vote in a 14v14 tied decision. Castigated for being “feart”, the Provost insisted that the debate would so - “not be heard”. “I’ll repeat it again; this Council are a shambles!” said Cllr McCabe. “Scared of genuine debate; petrified of real scrutiny, this administration is relying on the protection of a Provost who has stretched and pulled the council’s Standing Orders beyond all recognition. They are a sham masquerading as a council and I fear for the future of our residents.” It is an unedifying spectacle to watch council’s most senior officers provide subjective interpretation of Standing Orders, in order to stifle debate in support of a dreadfully poor administration. Press Statement Ends
Posted on: Mon, 30 Sep 2013 20:57:34 +0000
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