Issue - meetings

The Civic Affairs Committee, in debating the motion that was referred to it by Full Council regarding a proposal to introduce recorded votes for all votes taken at meetings at Full Council, except for decisions on appointments or decisions taken by affirmation, RECOMMENDED that the motion be lost.

The Civic Affairs Committee REQUESTED that a report be submitted to its next meeting on the feasibility and options for recording or webcasting future meetings of Full Council.

Graham Watts, Democratic Services Team Leader, presented a report which set out the following motion from Councillor Aidan Van de Weyer that was referred to the Civic Affairs Committee from the meeting of Full Council on 27 November 2014:

“This Council agrees that all votes, except for those taken by affirmation and for appointments, be recorded in the manner described in Standing Order 16.5 (Recorded Vote) and that the Constitution be amended accordingly”.

Councillor Van de Weyer explained that openness was very important and that, in his view, the way in which voting currently took place at meetings of Full Council was not fully transparent.  He therefore wanted to see the names of Members and how they voted on individual proposals recorded in the minutes of meetings of Full Council for all votes carried out, except for those on appointments or decisions taken by affirmation.

In debating the motion, the following points were noted:

·         nothing had changed since the last time this issue had been debated, so the original decision to retain existing arrangements should stand;

·         recorded voting for the majority of decisions made by the Council might put pressure on individual Members in political groups to vote inline with the party rather than vote with their conscience;

·         assurances had been given from the Leaders of political parties that no party whips were in place.  The Council’s consideration of the Local Development Plan was evidence of this;

·         the proposed change was unnecessary as the Council’s Standing Orders already included provision for recorded votes to take place as and when required;

·         Members were elected to exercise their judgement on behalf of residents, so providing an opportunity for people to see how their local Member voted on a particular subject was an extension of that arrangement;

·         Brandon Lewis MP, in his original letter regarding the new requirement for all votes on budget items at Full Council meetings to be recorded, made the point that the change was about transparency of decision making;

·         local government was moving into a new realm of expectation.  The Council had to respond to that and ‘secret’ voting was an old-fashioned way of working.  Members should be completely accountable for their actions;

·         social media was being widely used at meetings, reporting on who was in support or against specific proposals based on the content of their speeches.  However, a Member saying they were in support of a proposal in a speech did not necessarily mean they would vote in favour.

Voting on the motion, with 4 votes in favour and 5 against, the Civic Affairs Committee RECOMMENDED that the motion be lost.

Discussion ensued on the related-issue of recording or webcasting meetings of Full Council and the Civic Affairs Committee REQUESTED that a report be submitted to its next meeting on the feasibility and options for recording or webcasting future meetings of Full Council.

The Civic Affairs Committee RECOMMENDED to Full Council the introduction of a new paragraph 16.6 headed ‘Recorded vote on budget decisions’ to the Council’s Standing Orders, to read:

“If the Council is considering an item on the Council’s budget or the setting of the Council Tax, the names for and against the motion or amendment, abstaining from voting or not voting will be taken down in writing and entered into the minutes”.

Consideration was given to a report which set out the implications of the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 and provided the Committee with an opportunity to consider a Notice of Motion referred from the meeting of Full Council on 27 February 2014 in relation to recorded votes.

The Council was required to amend its Standing Orders so as to include provisions for the recording of votes at budget meetings, as explained in a letter appended to the report from Brandon Lewis MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, and as set out in the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014.

The Civic Affairs Committee unanimously RECOMMENDED to Full Council the introduction of a new paragraph 16.6 headed ‘Recorded vote on budget decisions’ to the Council’s Standing Orders, to read:

“If the Council is considering an item on the Council’s budget or the setting of the Council Tax, the names for and against the motion or amendment, abstaining from voting or not voting will be taken down in writing and entered into the minutes”.

Councillor Aidan Van De Weyer presented a Notice of Motion to Full Council on 27 February 2014 and the following resolution was passed:

“This Council requests that the Civic Affairs Committee considers and proposes amendments to the Council’s Standing Orders so that all votes, except for those taken by affirmation and for appointments, are recorded in the manner described in Standing Order 16.5 (Recorded Vote).”

In debating the concept of undertaking recorded votes for all decisions made by Council, other than those taken by affirmation or for appointments, the following points were noted:

·         Members should be able to vote freely at Council meetings without the feeling of being pressurised by their political groups, which could happen if recorded votes were introduced for the majority of decisions at Full Council meetings;

·         there was already provision in the Council’s Standing Orders for a recorded vote to be held on any item, and only six Members were required to request this at a meeting for it to take place;

·         members of the public should be entitled to know how their elected representatives voted on specific items at Full Council meetings;

·         the letter from Brandon Lewis MP set out positive principles of transparency and democratic accountability, which this Council could drive forward by introducing recorded votes for the majority of decisions made by Full Council;

·         the introduction of this would be a step-change and some Members may feel uncomfortable at the prospect of recorded votes, but they had to accept that the Council was a political environment;

·         the Local Plan was a good example of how a recorded vote could provide an effective means of demonstrating to residents how individual votes from Members were cast;

·         it was unnecessary to formalise this as part of the Constitution when there was already provision for recorded votes to take place;

·         retaining the current arrangement provided more flexibility;

·         the way the electronic voting system worked in the Council Chamber meant that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37