The new Alliance Group, which now forms the Administration of the Isle of Wight Council, has thanked Conservative Leader Steve Hastings for his recent pledge to work alongside them.
As previously reported by Island Echo, Steve Hastings stated that he and his group wish to collaboratively engage with the Administration and that they wish to work constructively alongside the new Cabinet, but the Alliance Group is waiting to see what actually happens.
Leader of the Council and of the Alliance Group, Councillor Lora Peacey Wilcox, said:
“The proof of the pudding will be in the eating”.
“We have inherited a situation where the previous Conservative council operated its own form of lockdown in terms of access to Cabinet members and information so it is perhaps not surprising that we are somewhat sceptical about the content of Councillor Hastings statement.
“On the evening of our victory we changed the previous system operated under the former Leader, ex-Councillor Stewart, whereby the Administration was in charge of Scrutiny, and effectively ‘marking their own homework’ and have done this as a first step in restoring transparency and enabling the Isle of Wight Council to restore its credibility.
“We will be going on to review the many other obstructive polices and practices that the previous Administration imposed on this council, although they will remain in place for now out of necessity, as there are other more urgent reviews to be conducted first.
“We wait to see if the Conservatives do in fact ‘contribute to and inform’ Cabinet decisions and whether they have now learned that this is how a Council should operate, or to see if these are simply more of the hollow words that we have grown used to hearing over the last few years. While we, as a new Administration, have to prove ourselves in office it is also very much for the Conservatives to prove if they can change their spots. We and the public will be watching their behaviour closely.
Article continues below this advertisement “Many have noted that there were some speeches made by Conservative members at the recent Full Council meeting, particularly by Councillor Churchman and Councillor Mosdell, which suggest the Conservative attitude has really not changed at all and that their primary concern remains their Party and not the Island.”
Lora also commented on Cllr Hastings plans to establish a shadow cabinet, she continued:
“We note that Councillor Hastings is establishing a ‘shadow cabinet’. It is of course for him to decide how he leads and structures his group. However, contrary to requests he has made privately, this will not entitle his councillors to any greater access to information.
“He and his team will have the same level of access to information and the Cabinet that the Conservatives deemed fit and appropriate as an Administration. The immediate action of the Alliance Group to revert scrutiny back to opposition oversight, with the support of reverse proportionality, has already gone further than the Conservatives ever did to provide an open and transparent culture.
“We are far more concerned with opening up the Council to residents and businesses to enable them to engage with us and inform our policy and decision making.”
Was that a breath of fresh air? Your island awaits.
Good, don’t dumb down to tory pressure, so far a good start. I think Bob Seely is seriously rattled now.
the only thing we, the public will be watching Lora, is how much you reduce the council tax bills by and how much you are going to reduce the council bloat, the social services drain on resources, the excessive housing developments and the petty dictatorial attitude of councillors.
you will be judged on the above and then kicked out of office if you do not delivering savings and council tax bill reductions.
The new Council are not the only ones that will be waiting to see what the blues will be doing and saying, but can a leopard change its spots?
That’s a disappointingly disingenuous response to an olive branch and somewhat at odds with the promising development whereby the Alliance re-introduced opposition control of the scrutiny committee and reverse proportionality. I’m a little bemused tbh.
Council positions were voted on by the Tory controlled previous council.
Dave Stewart decided that opposition councillors would not have access to cabinet or information, and it was voted through by his tory minions.
It cannot be changed without a vote, nor should it be.
The letter above reads that the new leader is being very cautious. Hastings has said one thing publicly, but seems to be doing something else behind the scenes. His words do not tally up with his actions.