Claims backbench members ‘shut out’ during lockdown

CLAIMS that backbench members have been “shut out” of the decision-making process during lockdown has seen a mixed response from fellow councillors.

Referring to the authority’s Annual Governance Statement, Llais Gwynedd member Alwyn Gruffydd took exception to a section of the report claiming that the low number of responses to various public consultations suggested there was “no great aspiration amongst the public to hold the council to account”.

Cllr Gruffydd, however, claimed that if this were the case, it was down to “a lack of trust” in the actions of the decision making Cabinet, citing “difficult decisions” made in the past.

Speaking during Thursday’s Audit Committee meeting – its first since the March lockdown – he said: “I have only been in contact with two officers since March; this is the first actual meeting we’ve had for months.

“I fear there may be feeling out there that their local members simply aren’t in a situation to represent them as they aren’t part of any decision-making processes.

But Angela Russell, the leader of the independent group, said that while she agreed with Cllr Gruffydd, the “unprecedented” nature of the pandemic had to be taken into consideration.

“Scrutiny is important, of course, but the patient is still breathing at the moment and its too soon to carry out the postmortem,” she said. “In hindsight we’re all very clever, but at the time we were all very concerned.

“There will be a time down the line to look back and point fingers.”

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