Call for more scrutiny of and debate on Labour's actions by Newcastle City Council

In 2015 the Labour executive at Newcastle City Council reduced the amount of public scrutiny and debate.

In recent days there has been a mighty struggle going on between Parliament, on behalf of the people, and the executive, to stop debate being truncated by the Government.

In Parliament this is rightly branded unacceptable, nay undemocratic, by all the Opposition parties.

It was and is equally unacceptable here in Newcastle.

With only 7 business meetings a year of the Full Council, the burden is light. Yet while reviewing and changing dates recently, the Labour Group has not sought to return to the 10 meetings per year under the Liberal Democrats administration.

At a minimum we should have an additional midsummer meeting and a pre Christmas one so that scrutiny and debate are undertaken and seen to be undertaken. The council tax payers of this great city deserve better.

At the September Council meeting Cllr Robin Ashby called upon the Administration to ask the Constitutional Committee to think again and restore meetings to the previous level.