South Glos Green Party have slammed the Tory council for undermining local democracy in their desperate penny pinching. Conservative Councillors voted in favour of changing the current Committee structure, where all decision making is done via committees involving elected councillors of all represented parties, to forming a cabinet of just 8 to make major decisions.
Local Green activist in Hanham, Dan Johnston said, “This is a step backwards for South Gloucestershire, concentrating decision making power in the hands of a cabal of councillors who are already responsible for devastating attacks on our libraries, local services, and now our very local democracy too.
Greens have always believed we should make politics as open and transparent as possible. Signing away behind closed doors on things that will have lasting implications for residents here is exactly why the public has lost faith in mainstream politics. We will not take this lying down.”
The new Cabinet system will be formed of 8 out of the 70 elected Councillors on South Gloucestershire Council and Conservative councillors believe “more cost effective”.
