By Cllr Ian Shires, Walsall Liberal Democrats Group Leader

This was the pile of reports which went to Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting at Walsall Council. The eight Labour Cabinet members rattled through the hefty 27 Items contained in the 503 page reports book in the public session in just under 50 minutes.

There were some weighty reports that they rattled through such as:
•71 page report on the new Charging Policy for Community Based Services
•39 page report on Walsall Adult Community College
•22 page report on the Highways Maintenance Strategy
•22 page report on the West Midlands Local Transport Plan Capital Programme for 2016/16

On most of the items there was a prepared statement read out by the cabinet member with responsibility for that particular report followed by little, or in most cases no comments from other cabinet members.

The point I am trying to make is not a criticism of the Labour Cabinet members as such, more a criticism of the whole process of Cabinet and Scrutiny.

It’s no wonder that people feel disengaged from the political process with the current system. It’s exclusive not inclusive. It’s opaque not transparent. It puts power into the hands of the few at the expense of the many.

The Cabinet System paints a picture of Councillors as part of the establishment rather than as advocates for those who elect them. The sooner we move to a Committee System the better. Problem? None of the other Parties in Walsall want the Committee System!

As Liberal Democrats within a Coalition on Walsall Council we’ve been there. We’ve been in the Cabinet. We smelt the coffee, didn’t like it! We tried to persuade the Tories. The majority didn’t want to know. We’ve talked to the Labour leadership. They didn’t want to know and who knows what Ukip think?