One of my tasks over the coming weeks will be to decide what my
priorities as a councillor should be. Apart from being an effective ward
councillor its important I establish some clear goals and boundaries. As
a lone councillor it's easy to get swamped and I would much rather do a
few things well than a lot of things badly. Anyway, more about that in
due course.
Raking over the troubled recent history of Wirral Council is not
something I will be dwelling on excessively. Many others have done that
but I am well aware that I have been elected to a council with a
dysfunctional track record and that will be an important back drop as I
get used to how WMBC currently operates.
On Monday, Wirral elects its new Mayor. Normally, a routine vote where a
long standing councillor is elected with cross party support to chair
council meetings and carry out the ceremonial functions of the mayor
over the next 12 months.
But, this year is different as the Mayor elect is Steve Foulkes who was
council leader when Wirral became very publicly associated with
incompetence, bullying, gagging clauses, resignations and bad financial
management, all culminating in the publication of the infamous Klonowski
Report.
Wherever responsibilities lie, there is no denying that Cllr Foulkes
presided over a very dark period in the history of WMBC. This legacy
persists and I know that many people are angry and upset that Steve
Foulkes will be Wirral's mayor for the next 12 months.
In the circumstances, the reasonable course of action would have been to
forego the office of Mayor.
He hasn't chosen that option and that's why I will be voting against
Steve Foulkes as Mayor.
Congratulations on your victory Pat.
ReplyDeleteIf we check back to 2002/3, the warnings about what lay ahead in the future where already being signposted. Democratic oversight came a very poor second to greed and self interest, pretty much across all parties. The only way was very much downwards into the gutter:
http://www.easyvirtualassistance.co.uk/gravytrain1.JPG
I agree with your comment and stance on not voting for Foulkes as mayor, he has been too close to the shady issues damming Wirral Council over the past years.
ReplyDeleteYour successful breakthrough victory will give heart to the Wirral public that there is an alternative party to Labour and one with honest principles and a social conscience!