Whither democracy in Swansea?

The Coalition Administration running Swansea Council - made up of alleged LibDems, "Independents", and actual "Independent Party" (!) and other political flotsam and jetsam - has long had a reputation for saying one thing and doing the complete opposite.

For example, the Council leaders have promised "open government", then set up a Committee called "Open Swansea Working Group" which, errrrr.....met in private behind closed doors in County Hall!

Another, picked out of a hat full of similar examples, is the oft claimed pledge of the LibDems to get rid of the Cabinet-style government in Swansea (and indeed across Wales according to Welsh LibDem AM and Swansea Councillor Peter Black's press release in 2004)...i.e. to end the system whereby ten out of Swansea's 72 elected Councillors make most of the decisions. This lot came to power in 2004 and we are STILL waiting for them to bring forward proposals to make local decision-making more democratic.

The attitude show by this Administration in terms of breaking election promises on openess and democracy is reflected in how they run the Council Meetings. The Constitution of the City & County of Swansea states that the Council is where the Executive (i.e. the Leader of the Council and his nine Cabinet stooges) is supposed to be held to account. The Constitution also provides for extra time, speaking rights and status for Opposition Group Leaders. The Presiding Officer of the Council, who chairs the meetings of Council, is supposed to allow Members to properly question those responsible for spending £350 million pounds of taxpayers money every year.

Yet, if the Council Meeting on Thursday is anything to go by, this Administration is hell-bent on denying the rights of Opposition Leaders to properly hold them to account. They appointed the Presiding Officer - the current incumbent is the failed Social Services Cabinet Member, Councillor Wendy Ftizgerald. Her refusal to take any responsibility for Swansea's children's services getting into such a poor state is well documented. It is little wonder that Opposition Groups on the Council and even some on her own side have been insulted by her elevation to the status of Council Chairman.

The Presiding Officer's conduct on Thursday was utterly outrageous. Her patronising voice (much mocked by Councillors on all sides) is perhaps an unfortunate facet of her personality, however, her physical displays of disapproval whenever Opposition Leaders tried to speak, raise Points of Order or otherwise try to exercise their Constitutional rights went beyond a joke. Far from protecting the Main Opposition and Minority Opposition Group Leaders' rights to speak, in my case she tried to prevent me from asking a supplementary question to the education inspectorate, who had just presented an important report on local schools standards.


I was also disappointed that the senior public servants appointed by Council to ensure standards such as legal and democratic regulations are adehered to, refused to intervene except when pressed by Opposition Leaders. The Chief Executive and the Council's Head of Legal & Democratic Services both have a duty to protect and promote the rights of ALL Members of the Authority, NOT just the rights of the Executive. I will be raising these important points with the Authority's Chief Executive on Monday.


I have also written to the Council's Presiding Officer outlining why I believe that this situation cannot be allowed to continue. I note that the Leader of the Main Opposition (Labour) Group has also written publicly about this matter.