No Place for Posture Politics
In last week’s local papers, (13.11.2024), Labour Cllr Fiona Wilson (Macclesfield South), waxed lyrical about the Local Government Boundary Commissions’ support of the late submission of the Labour Party’s alternative proposals in the first draft report for the new Cheshire East Ward Boundaries.
Whilst everyone is welcome to contribute to these consultations, it’s telling that Labour chose to submit their amended proposals after they lost the vote at full Council last February. The proposals were not “pushed through Council by Conservative and Independent Groups” as Cllr Wilson claimed, but were voted through by a clear majority of attending members - that’s called democracy!
Nor were the CEC proposals “largely overridden by the Boundary Commission”. Indeed, the Commission approved 41 of the 48 boundary proposals and a 42nd simply needed confirmation of its new name, reflecting the hard work of officers, councillors and residents across the borough in seeking to get the best solutions for voters and communities.
It is therefore both extraordinary and rather ridiculous, that all three Labour Members of the electoral review sub-committee, Cllrs Laura Crane, Rob Vernon and of course Cllr Fiona Wilson, unilaterally resigned just before the final meeting on Friday where discussions on whether or not CEC should contest or accept the Boundary Commission’s draft proposals were due to take place. The Sub-Committee remained quorate but Labour input would have been useful.
The rationale behind this bizarre act clearly escaped the bemused officer team and other sub-committee members.
It remains to be seen how residents view their Labour Councillors’ abrogation of responsibility, but there’s no place for this kind of “petty, posture politics” in local government.
For residents impacted by the Commission’s draft boundary proposals, you can still SUBMIT YOUR VIEWS BY THE 9th DECEMBER via this link:
https://www.lgbce.org.uk/all-reviews/cheshire-east
Cllr Janet Clowes
Wybunbury Ward Member
Conservative Group Leader (Opposition), CEC.
15.11.2024
Ref: Macclesfield Express: 13.11.2024, Page 8