The group leader of Conservative Isle of Wight councillors, Cllr Dave Stewart, has issued a press statement this morning challenging the leader of the council, Cllr Jonathan Bacon, to explain “why he has allowed the September full council meeting to be cancelled when there are so many major issues facing the council at this time”.
Meeting cancelled by Chairman
As reported last week, the Chairman of the council, Charles Chapman, made the decision to cancel the September meeting due to lack of formal business.
All councillors, including Cllr Stewart, were consulted about the possibility of cancellation. According to Cllr Geoff Lumley, “most of the people who agreed to the cancellation with ‘Reply All’ were Tories or IMG (Independent Members Group)”.
Cllr Stuart Hutchinson, a member of the Conservative group, had replied,
“I’m content for the September Meeting to be cancelled, and for the October meeting to start earlier. If there is not substantive business for a meeting then there is little point in having one.
“This Council, by far the smallest of our neighbouring Counties, has a calendar of eight meetings per year, the others all seem to manage business perfectly well on 5 or 6. There is no evidence that their services are worse as a result, in fact in most respects better.”
Questioning lack of agenda items
Cllr Stewart says today that he was made aware by the Chairman of the council that the Chief Executive and Leader of the council “had put forward no substantive items for the September agenda”.
He said,
“However I find it incredible that with a £4.5 million overspend in the current financial year, a major consultation over the Solent Devolution Deal which could see powers transferred to an elected mayor and undermine our relationship with Hampshire (who are supporting our school improvement programme) and with limited time available to discuss our longer term financial crisis as well as a raft of other council matters which the Island public expect councillors to address – he informs the Chairman he is not aware of items for the agenda – how can this be the case?”
Cllr Bacon: “Cllr Stewart shows an amazing lack of understanding”
In response to the claims allegations, Cllr Bacon told OnTheWight this morning,
“It is the Chairman’s decision. I am aware that some challenge he has the authority to do this, although it has happened before. It is not my decision.
“Cllr Stewart’s statement shows an amazing lack of understanding of the Council and its processes, particularly for a Group Leader. The formal business the Council has to transact has to be publicised on the Council’s Forward Plan.
“It has been known for a long time that the only formal item due to be heard on 21st September was the Medium Term Financial Strategy. It was made clear that this would not be ready for September. This decision was communicated in August to the Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group (and other Group Leaders) and no complaint was made at that point.”
Inaccurate overspend figure
Cllr Bacon went on to correct a major inaccuracy in Cllr Stewart’s claims of £4.5m overspend. He said,
“Cllr Stewart, particularly in his role as Chair of the Scrutiny Committee, should also be aware that the current predicted overspend, following the revision of savings targets, is actually £1.5m, that the Solent Deal Consultation is still live and cannot be physically be considered until October (and that the powers under consideration are to be transferred from central government and do not affect our relationship with Hampshire at all).”
“Cheap political points”
Accusing Cllr Stewart of copying arguments from another councillor’s email, Cllr Bacon added,
“These are the key issues facing the Council, so it is bizarre he is not aware of the processes and timescales for dealing with them and is more concerned with making cheap political points and particularly that he has copied his arguments from an email sent by Cllr Whitehouse who, due to his lack of attendance, has even less understanding of how the Council works than Cllr Stewart.
“I also note that Cllr Stewart, nor any members of his group, submitted any items for consideration at the Full Council Meeting.”
Cllr Stewart: “Playing the fiddle while Rome burns”
Cllr Stewart said he’d be inviting the leader and chief executive to consider holding an internal council meeting on 21st September (when the full council meeting was supposed to be held) and finished by saying,
“In my view they are guilty through abdication – and it seems to me they have been caught ‘playing the fiddle while Rome burns’!”
“Cllr Stewart is the one who is ‘fiddling'”
Cllr Bacon finished by saying,
“I was more than happy with the Chairman’s decision as the key business of the Council is being dealt with and, as has been well publicised, a meeting costs £4,000 to organise and run.
“If the feeling is that there should be a meeting (although the clear majority of those who bothered to reply to the Chairman’s request for views were against this) and a meeting is justified then of course it should take place.
“I note that Cllr Stewart failed to respond to the Chairman’s email and his Deputy Leader agreed with the cancellation. If someone wants to follow the procedure to reinstate the meeting I am happy with that.
Again I note that this is not the course Cllr Stewart has chosen to take, preferring instead to go to the media. I do not favour the suggestion of holding an private meeting on 21st September in order for Councillor Stewart to find out all the things he should know already. Council meetings should be in public
“Cllr Stewart is the one who is ‘fiddling’ at the moment as his only concern is for his Group at next May’s election rather than acting as proper Chair of Scrutiny or showing any wish to act positively for the Council and Island residents.”
Image: © Simon Haytack
