'Let us speak' campaigners urge Brent party leaders

Campaigners opposed to the proposed Council Tax Support scheme being voted on at tonight's full meeting of Brent Council, have written to all three group party leaders urging them to allow a resident to speak at the meeting.

Earlier Brent Housing Action had been told there was 'no provision' for the public to speak at full Council meetings. However campaigners are citing Clause 40a of the Standing Orders which states:

(a) With agreement of all Group Leaders a speaker shall be invited to attend and speak on an issue pertinent to the London Borough of Brent. The speech shall not exceed 10 minutes. 

The three leaders are Cllr Muhammed Butt (Labour), Cllr Paul Lorber (Liberal Democrat) and Cllr Suresh Kansagra (Conservative).

BHA say that it is particularly important that they be given the chance to speak because the consultation over the continuance of the scheme, with only minor tweaks, was poorly handled and the response rate was low.

They point to the Council's own commentary on the Consitution which states:

Purpose of the Constitution (LINK)

1.4 The purpose of the Constitution is to:

• support the active involvement of citizens in the process of local authority decision-making; 

•   enable decisions to be taken efficiently and effectively; 

• create a powerful and effective means of holding decision-makers to public account; 

• ensure that no one will review or scrutinise a decision in which they were directly involved; 

• ensure that those responsible for decision making are clearly identifiable to local people and that they explain the reasons for decisions; and 

• provide a means of improving the delivery of services to the community.  

  
I agree with the campaigners who argue that:

This clearly indicates that the Constitution is there to facilitate public debate and citizen involvement.