Councillors will stay in power until 2011 in democracy shake-up
NO LOCAL elections will take place in Stoke-on-Trent until 2011 to allow the city to undergo major democratic changes, a report has revealed.
After a gap next year, the city was expected to return to the polls in May 2010 to elect 20 of Stoke-on-Trent City Council's 60 members.
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But moves to adopt whole-council elections and smaller, single-member wards mean the elections look certain to be put back a year.
The changes are part of a series of measures laid down by the Stoke-on-Trent Governance Commission earlier this year to help stimulate interest in politics, stem the rise of extremism and introduce greater stability into the council.
Last month, the council agreed to carry out a city-wide consultation on proposals to hold all-out elections every four years, instead of electing a third of the 60 council members each year and having no polls in the fourth year.
Approval is expected to pave the way for the introduction of single-member wards, replacing the current system of three councillors to each ward.
But the changes need to be approved by the Electoral Commission and the Boundary Commission for England, which would have to carry out a lengthy consultation and review of ward boundaries in the city.
The timescale would make it impossible to hold elections in 2010 unless the council rejects all the proposed reforms and keeps its current system.
In his address to Thursday's full council meeting, elected mayor Mark Meredith, pictured left, – whose own term of office expires in June following a referendum decision to abolish his post – will confirm that the 2010 polls are almost certain to be cancelled.
The move will mean 20 members who were due to face re-election in 2010 will now keep their seats for another year.
They include six portfolio holders: Conservative and Independent Alliance leader Roger Ibbs, Labour group leader Joy Garner, Liberal Democrat group leader Jean Bowers and Labour's Mohammed Pervez, Adrian Knapper and Joan Bell.
Also benefiting from an extra year in office will be the current Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, councillor Derek Capey, City Independent leader Ann James, BNP group leader Alby Walker and BNP members Philip Sandland and Anthony Simmonds.
Twenty other councillors, who were elected this year, will see their terms cut short if all-out elections take place in 2011. Mr Ibbs said delaying elections until 2011 would benefit the city.
He said: "Without doubt, waiting until 2011 would give us some stability, which would be a good thing given the importance of the governance arrangements we have got to introduce."
But Potteries Alliance leader councillor Peter Kent-Baguley said the postponement would create more problems than advantages.
He said: "I think it would have been good to have all-out elections next June so that the new system of governance could start off with a brand new council chamber as well.
"Delaying elections until 2011 is particularly unfortunate given that there are so many major policy issues in the pipeline, such as the schools restructure and the privatisation of council services."
The council will reach a decision on whether to have all-out elections on January 22.
The consultation exercise runs until the end of this month.
23 Comments
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by ian, tunstall
Friday, December 05 2008, 8:05PM
“Why is the structure of wards a problem? we can have election in 2009 either ALL out or by bringing the next 1/3 cllr forward., then with a Leader in place ward sizes and boundary changes can be debated as this will take SOME time.”
by Becca, Stoke
Thursday, December 04 2008, 2:40PM
“@ Ian Norris - there's some logic in your argument, but surely delaying the restructuring of the Wards until 2015 would defeat the argument that the current make-up of the council isn't working?
@AW - I have no idea who Barry is sorry! As for Mrs Follows, if she's such a good councillor, why was she rejected by the voters in Meir Park and Sandon in favour of a fascist BNP candidate in May? It either says very little about her abilities, or even less about the lack of good sense of the people of MP&S!”
by AW, The Moorlands
Wednesday, December 03 2008, 6:26PM
“Becca, Stoke. ( or is this Barry in disguise ). Before making insulting comments towards those who only wish to be ( Consulted ) on the future of education in the City. Try absorbing the contents of this article. ( Last month, the City Council agreed to carry out a City Wide Consultation on proposals to hold elections every 4 years ). It seems you and others are Pre-Empting the outcome of these consultations. That said the Council does not have a very good record on ( CONSULTING with the COMMUNITIES ). With regards to Cllr Ibbs and re-election, Trentham has a very good Independant Councillor in Terry Fallows, I'm SURE his wife would be an Excellent Candidate.”
by GW, Etruria
Wednesday, December 03 2008, 5:59PM
“It still seems strange to me that it was not made clear during the referendum campaign that 2009 was the "fallow" year and that there could be no election prior to the selection of the leader.
I would like to see an all-out election in 2009 (forced by all current members resigning their seats if need be) based on the present 3 member wards. This would give the electorate a chance to influence the leadership decision.
The governance commission could then conclude its work and ensure necessary legislative changes are completed to fit with the electoral cycle of other authorities operating all-out elections.”
by Ian norris, tunstall
Wednesday, December 03 2008, 4:48PM
“Becca: why cant we have all out elections 2010 on curretn Boundaries and number of Cllrs? that then can give City untill 2015 to fully consult on ward changes and bring voting into line with other unitary authorities”
by Becca, Stoke
Wednesday, December 03 2008, 2:38PM
“The ignorance and obsession of the TAG is amazing - do they think that all that matters about this City is Roger Ibbs? I would also hazard an educated guess that, unless a very high-calibre Independent candidate stood against him (and I don't include Peter Chadwick in that description) Cllr Ibbs would be re-elected.
The Elected Mayor's report is simple enough even for some of the dullards on here to understand: if we are to have all-out elections, as recommended by the Governance Commission, that will require a change in the law, which takes time to achieve.
I have few problems with all-out elections, although am not persuaded, but if they are to happen they cannot be on the current Ward Boundaries - and that means bringing in the Boundary Commission to redraw those Ward Boundaries - another time-consuming job.
We cannot, by law, have elections in 2009 (unless we seek to change the law in Parliament in the next two or three months, which isn't going to happen), and it seems silly to have elections in 2010, if those people are going to have to stand for re-election in 2011.
The whole point of ditching the Elected Mayor for a Council Leader was to bring stability to the governance of the City - having Councillors elected for one year in 2010 would not do that. It could lead to a situation where we have a Council Leader elected in 2009, defeated in 2010, with his/her replacement defeated in 2011; hardly a recipe for stability.
Please quit the paranoia, and remember there is more to this City than Trentham High School!”
by Nicky, Trentham
Wednesday, December 03 2008, 12:50PM
“I wholeheartedly agree with Peter Kent-Baguley and Shaun Bennet that we should have a whole council election in 2009, given the change in the system of governance, to give the council a proper mandate to govern.
We certainly should not be denied our democratic right to vote in 2010, unless that right is given to us earlier, in 2009 instead. It certainly should not be moved later.
This is a matter of principle, regardless of which councillors are likely to gain or lose. However looking at that list of portfolio holders, there's a good few there it would be advantageous to get shot of!
So Mark Meredith is assuming the outcome of a consultation whilst it is ongoing it seems. Nothing new there then.
Roger Ibbs says it would benefit the city to delay elections. What he means is it would benefit him. Nothing new there then either. It gives him time to desperately seek somewhere to stand for election where people do not know him and consequently might vote for him.
Now even if we did want to move to whole council elections and need to have these in 2011 to align with other parts of the country which have done this, having elections in 2009 and 2011 would in my view provide a good transitional arrangement before settling on the elections every four years.”
by Warren, Stoke on Trent
Wednesday, December 03 2008, 10:18AM
“If Roger Ibbs had any feeling for the folks who voted him on the council the last time, he sould now know that he as lost all surport from them, do the desent thing and resine his seat.He will not, he is just power crazy.”
by J Frost, Trentham
Tuesday, December 02 2008, 9:08PM
“As a resident of Trentham, I firmly believe I have been seriously let down by Cllr Ibbs (and Irving) and would rather he didn't serve another day as my so-called 'elected representative', let alone another year, under completely false pretences. It is absolutely wrong that these councilors, voted in for a 4 year period, should be given another year for nothing, particularly when they have failed so abysmally. Peter Kent-Baguley is right - a new cabinet should be voted in next year to give a fresh start to the new governance system being brought in. Or is this yet another convenient 'get out of jail free' card for Cllr Ibbs?!”
by Peter Kent-Baguley, Packmoor
Tuesday, December 02 2008, 7:55PM
“GW Etruria - no Democracy4Stoke didn't mention it because it wasn't aware that it was on the cards! I have been an active member of D4S and my view is quote in the report, ie we should have all-out elections in 2009 so that we have a Chamber that has a totally new mandate from which to choose the Leader and develop policies in tune with the mood of the City.”