At a meeting of B&NES Council on the 11^th September 2008 Liberal Democrats called for an ad hoc debate on the Cabinet’s treatment of residents during last week’s Cabinet meeting, using the 10-minute debate rule in the Council’s constitution.

The Conservative Group however refused to allow the debate to take place.

Dozens of residents made a particular effort to attend last week’s Cabinet meeting to protest against the Cabinet’s adoption of compulsory purchase powers for the Bus Rapid Transit route; however the Leader of Council refused to allow a proper debate and prevented ward councillors and residents from speaking.

Once again the Conservatives have shown they are frightened of debate – what have they got to hide?

This Cabinet meeting was another bad day for democracy locally. In our view it put this Council and therefore all of us as members in a bad light.  The Cabinet should make a public apology to residents, and should convene a Cabinet debate to allow open debate, rather than hiding behind the O&S process.

With the reduced numbers of meetings there are now fewer opportunities for us to represent our residents.  The Leader of Council seems to change the rules on who may and may not speak at Cabinet according to her whim.

The Cabinet meeting at which Cllr Caroline Roberts (Lib Dem, Newbridge) was prevented from speaking and at which no debate took place, was completed in just over one hour.  When this issue is debated at overview and scrutiny on September 25^th residents and councillors will give this subject the debate and time it deserves even though, as the decision makers, this should be the duty of the Cabinet.

One might wonder whether Councillors and residents should waste their time attending Cabinet meetings in the future if it is only to watch the Cabinet rubber stamp decisions.