Tory and Labour Groups on Kirklees Council cut a “cosy deal”

Lib Dem Councillors have accused Tory and Labour Groups on Kirklees Council of cutting a “cosy deal” over positions on Kirklees Council’s leading Scrutiny Committee ahead of last weeks Annual Full Council meeting.

At the Council’s Annual Meeting, Tory Cllr Nigel Patrick proposed that the seats on Kirklees Scrutiny Management Committee should be allocated proportionally across the Groups based on the total number of members in each Group. His argument was that “proportionally” should be applied to this committee as with others with Labour taking an additional seat. Labour supported this move and the change was carried. The next day, Group Business Managers for all political Groups were advised that Labour, having supported the bid for proportionality, had decided to give this additional seat to Conservatives as part of what is being described as a pre-arranged under the table cross party political deal, which gives the Tory Group three places on the Management Committee when they – by their own argument – should only receive two!

The Council’s Scrutiny Management Committee is the body responsible for coordinating and overseeing the Scrutiny of decisions made by Kirklees’s Labour Cabinet. It now consists of 2 Labour, 3 Conservatives, 1 Lib Dem, 1 Green Member.

Cllr Cahal Burke (Lib Dem, Lindley Ward)

“I think Scrutiny should be non-party political, transparent and fair. Its role is to hold the Labour Cabinet to account and scrutinise the key decisions they make but this cosy deal the Tories have struck to obtain a further place undermines the whole function and spirit of what Scrutiny is supposed to be about. I am speaking to the Chief Exec and the Council’s Senior Legal Officers questioning whether this is acceptable and allowed under the council’s rules. I hope that commonsense can prevail.’