Last week our Town Council considered the following Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor G.C. Gray.
(i) That the Council changes the way that the Mayor of Great Aycliffe Town Council is selected for nomination for election at the Annual General Meeting.
(ii) That three key issues be taken into account:
1. Time of Service to the Council.
2. Dedication to the current role that the Councillor plays within the Council.
3. Selection of the best candidate for the position.
(iii) That the three key issues should be taken into account on a politically impartial basis and scored out of 30 (10 marks for each issue) and a shortlist be produced based upon these scores and then voted upon at the Council Annual General Meeting.
The simple intention behind the proposal was for the ruling Labour group to put aside Party politics and give an Independent councillor the opportuntiyy to serve as Mayor.
The mechanism of the motion was too formal and gave the Labour group great gleee in tearing it apart.
Inevitably as the debate continued the Independents gave vent to the fact that as a minority group they virtually had no say in how the Council was run.
But as pointed out by Indpendent Billy Blenkinsopp it was ever thus and you should expect nothing different.
Counc Hewitson made an issue of this point in an address to the Council. Counc Jim Atkinson remarked it was the first time he had ever heard Counc Hewitson speak and it was refreshing. She replied there was no point, as all decisons were decided at a Labour Group meeting beforehand. She also said she might as well stop at home and do her council work from there, representing her ward.
She referred to the current situation where the group decided what will happen and everyone is subjected to listening to the same “boring” people formalise decions in the Council Chamber.
Deputy Leader John Clare reacted strongly to this offensive statement reminding Councillors he was elected to the position and was carrying out his duty, boring or not.
Proposer George Gray pointed out that other Councils, including Darlington, elect opposition members to be Mayor and said he had twice nominated an Indpendent to be Mayor of Aycliffe which the Labour group did not support.
Observers could not help but feel how much nicer and fairer it would be if a capable Indpendent Councillor was given the chance to be Mayor now and again instead of Labour councillors taking the position more than once as in the case of George Gray himself when he was a Labour Councillor..
It is a non political position and even having the power of Chairman at meetings could not overrule the absolute control Labour holds.