The move to cabinet-style administrations in the 2000

Local Government Act was Tony Blair's way of achieving

greater central control.

Although not strictly necessary at the time, the

Forest of Dean Council adopted a leader and Cabinet-

style administration in 2007. The move had little popular

mandate, hardly 800 responded to the consultation.

The 2007 Local Government Act reinforced Labour's

centralising tendencies to a greater extent with stronger

powers for the council leader with a four year term.

Whereas previously the cabinet needed endorsement by

full council, the present change makes the leader

omnipotent with powers to choose cabinet members and

in other ways control all council decisions. The leader will

also determine what powers are to be delegated to cabinet

members and officers. For all intents and purposes, a

virtual dictator.

The political system does not always choose leaders

with particularly high intellect or personal attainments and

experience.

In theory, the move to a portfolio executive model

was intended to make swifter and bolder decisions – the

jury is out if this has improved the speed or quality of the

Forest council's decisions, or gained greater public

acceptance. Most people either do not understand or do

not care.

The scrutiny process has never fully galvanised the

enthusiasm of backbench councillors and there are many

who feel a sense of powerlessness matched by confusion

in some ward electorates who fail to understand how the

councillors they elect are not necessarily in a decision

making role.

The greater loss of democratic control inevitable in a

strong leader with a four year term is frightening.

Together with the weakening of external and internal

audit, all this bodes ill for local democracy. Although there

are constitutional provisions for removing an incompetent

or corrupt leader, party politics often hamper the

constitutional process. 

The Coalition Government intends to amend existing

legislation to remove the current prescription and allow

councils to decide what particular structure they wish to

adopt – including a return to the committee system if they

wish. The council will then need to get a democratic

mandate by putting their proposed changes to their

citizens, either in a referendum to be held at the same

time as local elections, or by advocating such a change in

the manifesto on which they stand for election.

There is a need to

reintroduce a more democratically constituted

committee systems. Even now, the leader or portfolio

holders can choose to delegate decision-making to such

committees.

There is also a need for a proper district-wide

referendum when the new legislation is in place – not the

half-hearted and ill-informed consultations we have seen

in the past.

 I do sincerely hope Forest Conservatives take note

and make a revitalised committee system the central

plank of their 2011 election manifesto. It is their party

which wishes greater local control over town halls and

eliminate centralised decision making. The electorate will

thank them for that.

– Cllr Venk Shenoi (Churcham and Huntley).