Peter Kent-Baguley

Consultation City

Full Council approved two things today. First, we accepted the result of the 23^rd October city-wide referendum, the result of which was to end the elected mayor system in the City in favour of a Leader and Cabinet model, the leader to be elected by the 60 councillors at the Annual Council meeting. That will be held next year on 8^th June - month later than the usual May local elections since the government wants local elections and the Euro elections to be held at the same time. Until then, the current elected mayor, Labour's Mark Meredith remains in office, making for an unfortunately long lead-in period to the new system.

Secondly, we approved a consultation process to gauge public opinion, both residents and business people, on the issue of moving from councillor elections in each of three successive years with the fourth year being fallow, free of elections. Councillors are elected for a four-year term, but not all at the same time. One third of the councillors are elected in each of the three successive years. The justification for this, I was always told, was to avoid any sudden, wholesale change. Mmmm but what if the voters want a sudden, wholesale change? Tough!

With only a third of councillors being up for election in any one year, it is easy to see that the balance of power in the Council Chamber is difficult to change. It is likely therefore that little changes and so reinforces the widespread perception that there is little point in voting because nothing ever changes. Also, many people are genuinely confused. After each election in which I was not a candidate seeking re-election a goodly number of people in my ward have thought I was no longer a councillor because my name did not appear amongst the elected.

These two issues along are powerful indictments of the present election by thirds each year. These factors I am sure have been major contributors to the growing disenchantment and disengagement of people, leading to low voter turn-outs.

Opponents of the all-out election every four years claim it denies voters regular "health checks" on councillors. But if you really think this one through, it doesn't do anything of the sort. Whether I am elected in an all-out election or as one of the third as at present I am still elected for four years. In other words, the voters are stuck with me for four years!

We had no choice this afternoon: before the Council can vote on changing to all-out elections every four years we are required by law to undertake a consultation process.