Medway UKIP councillors contribute nothing to Medway

Residents of the Medway Towns may be interested to learn that certain of their elected Councillors are emulating their party's MEPs by being a complete and utter waste of time and space. I speak of course of UKIP.
It was noted with interest at the full Council Meeting of Thursday 15th October that although the three UKIP Councillors were in attendance (as was the ex-UKIP but now Independent Councillor), they contributed nothing to the meeting, even when invited to do so. It was as if they held no opinions on anything.

This was at a Council Meeting where each and every single Conservative Councillor without exception voted to gag the public, denying members of the public from ever publicly asking a supplementary question again. Shamefully, the Conservatives are bit by bit killing off local democracy and UKIP had nothing to say to oppose such moves!

Until now, members of the public have been able to submit a written question to a Council portfolio-holder no later than a week before the full Council Meeting, thus enabling the Councillor to research and come up with a prepared answer on the night of the meeting. The questioner has then had the opportunity to put a short supplementary question, relating to the main question, in other words, given the opportunity to challenge the prepared answer given and thus hold the Council to account. The process also discloses as to whether the Portfolio-holder is actually on top of his or her job, depending on how they respond to the supplementary question for which they have not had time to prepare. In addition, if through ill health or other genuine reason, the questioner has been unable to attend the meeting in person, they have been able to nominate a proxy to put the supplementary question on their behalf, thus still challenging the Council and holding it to account.

As from Thursday 15th October, those democratic processes have been withdrawn from the people of Medway by this arrogant Conservative Council. And UKIP offered nothing to prevent it. From now on, a written question can be submitted by a member of the public at least seven days prior to the meeting and the Portfolio-holder will have a week in which to prepare an answer and the public, under the section called, "Public Questions" will no longer be able to challenge those answers.

Interestingly, a substantial challenge against this measure came from a number of LibDem activists in the public gallery from whence five questions and five supplementaries were submitted on the subject, thus putting UKIP to shame, albeit that, Conservative consciences remained untouched on the matter. And in fairness, the Labour group, who are singing from the same song sheet as the LibDems on this one, tried valiantly to reach the consciences of the Conservatives into saving what local democracy we had.

Politicians wonder why the public are becoming more and more disengaged with politics, whether at national or local level. This Conservative Medway Council is supposed to represent you and me, regardless of how we may have individually voted at the last Local Elections, but clearly, by denying us the opportunity to effectively challenge them publicly at Council meetings, they are out to represent no-one but themselves.

Tony Jeacock
Chairman Medway LibDems