7th April Full Council Meeting: anger at Lib Dem stunt

The Camden Lib Dems swung their weight around and used their voting advantage to rush through business at last night’s meeting, cutting the valuable ‘open session’ where any backbencher from any party can raise questions concerning council business.

The reason? To get to a Green motion which Leader Keith Moffitt and Eco Champion Alexis Rowell wanted to amend, to show their ‘green credentials’ before the Mayoral election.

On the Labour side we wanted to raise questions about the quality of council answers by officers, which are increasingly pithy and ‘political’ (as in the case where I asked for a list of cuts, and got a response denying that there were cuts, only ‘efficiency savings’).

Colleagues who also wanted to raise ward issues on behalf of their constituents were also denied.

The motion, which would have been heard anyway, was uncontentious and had agreement anyway from all sides. But just for the sake of a couple of minutes of posturing by the Lib Dems, valuable challenge from opposition councillors was lost.

Earlier in the meeting a deputation from Castlehaven Youth Centre make a plea about cuts to their 'core' service, which would mean that vital youth provision in Camden Town (the only of its kind) would end. Under the previous system extra funds were distributed to large geographical areas based on demographic need, high numbers of young people and poverty indicators. These have now been abolished as a tool, meaning that a 'needs' test has been ditched.

As a result the areas eligible have increased, but the pots of money haven't. In addition, youth work in Belsize Park or West Hampstead would be just as 'weighted' in the process as on a Kentish Town or Camden Town estate. This is exactly what seems to have happened this year, with core funding for services in Highgate New Town, Queen's Crescent and Camden Town cut.