Residents’ Association County Councillor Hits Out at Surrey County Council Ban on Debate
A Motion that would have seen Surrey County Councillors debate the importance and value of Parent Governors has been blocked under new standing orders introduced by the Conservatives at SCC. Residents’ Association County Councillor Eber Kington, who raised the issue at the request of parents and governors in his area after the Government had announced plans to remove the requirement for parent governors on academy governing bodies, was therefore forced to argue their case in just two minutes under a procedure known as a Member Statement.
County Councillor Kington said:
“It is a disgrace. The council taxpayer pays the cost of the council meeting: the printing, officer time, travel expenses of councillors and a free lunch, yet the Conservatives have decided that they will not allow council taxpayers’ concerns to be raised and debated”.
“The Leader of the Council was allowed to make a political Statement without any time limit but a Councillor who wants to raise a concern from residents is blocked because the Chairman of the Council can decide it is not important enough”
County Councillor Kington used his two minute Member Statement to quote from parents and governors who were not only concerned about the Government’s attitude towards parent governors but also about the ruling Conservative Groups decision to block a debate. He quoted one parent saying:
“I found the comments from the government on parent governors really condescending and dismissive. Are we all devoid of any skills because we are also parents?”
And a governor who said:
“I fully support the motion and the suggestion that it should be debated at the May Council meeting. The decision not to allow the debate smacks of a stifling of free speech which seems undemocratic and therefore counter to the way our Council would surely wish to operate”.
Councillor Kington has also put down a question asking for the full cost of staging the May Council Meeting.
He said:
“It may not be a huge cost, but the principle of no taxation without representation was decided long ago. Sadly, in their rush to finish the meeting as quickly as possible, the Conservatives at SCC seem to have forgotten why we meet and whose interests we need to consider and serve”
