Control Freaks on the Fourth Floor? A Standards Board Complaint?

The Overview and Scrutiny Commission is a statutory body charged with the independent scrutiny of actions by the executive (the Mayor and Cabinet). As such it should be free from political interference.

It came as something of a surprise to learn that the members of the Overview and Scrutiny Commission were told that they would be ‘whipped’ in accordance with the Mayor’s wishes. The OSC was tasked to discuss and agree their preferred alternative of several models to replace the Mayor and Cabinet model of governance. They were instructed that they should agree the Leader and Committee option. Members of the Commission were a little aggrieved at this interference of the executive in the scrutiny function and the meeting was cancelled. Instead of defending the rights and the role of the commission, the Chair of the OSC, the supine Cllr McAlmont sought to avoid a showdown and went home.

‘Whipping’ is the mechanism by which members of a political group on the council are coerced into voting a particular way. For the most part, this is uncontroversial. Members go with the majority of their group, even when they disagree on matters which are not deemed to be matters of conscience.

However, on a council that is 100% Labour it smacks of control freakery.

In trying to whip the Overview and Scrutiny Commission to agree with the instructions of the executive, it begs the question as to whether this was lawful.

We are given to understand that relations between the Mayor and the Chief Whip, one Cllr Anamul Islam are a bit strained at the moment and that the actual threats were issued by his supposed deputy, Cllr Jane Lofthouse at the behest of the Mayor.

It seems that Deputy Whip Lofthouse also has a deputy cabinet position, but Chief Whip Islam does not. That must grate.

If councillors Islam or Lofthouse would like to clear up any misunderstandings, we’d be delighted to hear from you.