As mentioned last week, the new Isle of Wight Overview and Scrutiny Committee meets tomorrow to consider not only the Council’s proposed process for a ‘Root and Branch Review’ of all services, but also receive a presentation on next year’s Budget, following the Chancellor’s spending review announcements last week.
Opposition majority
The Scrutiny Committee under the previous Conservative-led council was Conservative controlled, but the new Independent-led council has chosen to ensure that those in opposition are in the majority, with Labour’s Cllr Geoff Lumley back in the Chair (after a stint in 2006-7) and six of the ten committee places held by him, four Conservatives and one UKIP member.
Independence Day
Chair of the Committee, Cllr Lumley, says he hopes the re-launch of effective ‘overview and scrutiny’ of the IW Council will be a new ‘independence day’.
Cllr Lumley told OnTheWight,
“It certainly feels good to have a scrutiny committee in opposition hands again after six long, sterile years. I hope we will also see members of the public start to turn up again to see how scrutiny can be done.”
The meeting takes place on Thursday 4 July from 6pm and members of the public are welcome to attend – and even ask questions at the beginning of the meeting.
