Claims democracy is being ‘shut down’ at Wigan town hall

Opposition councillors, most of whom are Independent, have accused the ruling party of shutting down democracy and being afraid of scrutiny.

But leading Labour councillors have conversely accused the complaining councillors of wanting to use their questions in council meetings to “grandstand in front of the public”.

Following a motion put at the latest council meeting, councillors’ right to speak for five minutes when putting a question to one of the authority’s portfolio holders was removed.

A councillor may not now submit more than one comment or question at any one council meeting.

And the maximum number of comments which may be submitted to any one council meeting is now restricted to five.

Councillors must not ask a question which relates to a function or decision of the council’s officers.

Independent Network councillor James Watson accused the controlling Labour group of setting the council “on a pathway to tyranny.”

“If this council is afraid of public scrutiny and difficult questions, maybe they shouldn’t be making those decisions to begin with.”

Another Independent, Coun Steve Jones, blasted: “Well you don’t like scrutiny do you? First of all, you stopped councillors going upstairs [in the town hall]. You even took the phone out of the members’ room.

“The whole point of asking questions is to have debate.

“You already have the power. Today was the day that the many were frightened of the few.

“You’re that scared of a handful of Independent councillors that you’re changing the constitution. I look around at this big powerful Labour Party and I know that whatever we’re doing is rocking the boat.

“You may take away motions, take away questions, you may stop me going upstairs, but we will always find a way to scrutinise you in these meetings.”

Responding, the deputy leader of the council Coun Keith Cunliffe argued that Coun Watson had been at the constitutional working group meeting when the move to restrict the questions was discussed.

Addressing the Independents opposite the chamber, he said: “This council has all of you on scrutiny committees. Every one [of the scrutiny committees] has representation from the opposition.

“There is no limit to the number of questions you can ask in scrutiny committees. At the health and social care scrutiny committee, Coun Watson frequently asks questions and they’re answered.

“The reason you want questions here is to grandstand. That was evident at the last council meeting.

“If you want to ask a question, ask it and get an answer, not speak for five minutes and bring up all sorts of other things that you haven’t notified were going to be asked. It [restricting questions] is not damaging the democratic processes of the council.”