Issue - meetings

Report of the Chief Executive

1.      The establishment of an Electoral Review Member Working Party is recommended to Full Council.   

2.      The Member Working Party is to be made up of 2 representatives from each of the Political Groups and chaired by the Leader of the Council.

3.      The Member Working Party is to be given delegated powers to consider, prepare and agree submissions to the Electoral Review on behalf of the Council. This will include the electorate forecast, political management arrangements and consequent size of the Council, warding patterns and any other information that is requested.

Councillor Clarke addressed cabinet and expressed disappointment that, as a whole-council project, there was no Independent representative on the proposed working party for electoral review.  He stated that, as this was not a political issue, he saw no reason to exclude the Council’s Independent member.

As relevant Portfolio Holder, Councillor Woods presented the report to Cabinet. He explained that the Electoral Commission had directed the Council to commence an Electoral Review and address the electoral variances and imbalances in a number of wards in the Borough. Recommendations on the ward names and boundaries were then to be passed to the Boundary Committee prior to consideration by Parliament. To achieve this, it was recommended that a working party be set up consisting of two councillors from each main party to include the Leader, who would take the Chair. Contributions would be invited from all Councillors and members of the public and all comments would be taken into consideration, including any minority views.

RESOLVED

1.      That the establishment of an Electoral Review Member Working Party be recommended to Full Council.   

2.      That the Member Working Party be made up of two representatives from each of the Political Groups and chaired by the Leader of the Council.

3.      The Member Working Party is to be given delegated powers to consider, prepare and agree submissions to the Electoral Review on behalf of the Council. This will include the electorate forecast, political management arrangements and consequent size of the Council, warding patterns and any other information that is requested.