End to row over vacant scrutiny seat
A political row over a vacant seat on a committee overseeing Sunderland’s children’s services has come to an end.
A damning Ofsted inspection in 2015 saw responsibility for the service transferred from Sunderland City Council to agency Together for Children (TfC), which was rated ‘inadequate” itself in July.
Since the inspection, Labour and Conservative councillors have condemned the Liberal Democrat and Others group for leaving a vacant seat on the Children, Education and Skills Scrutiny Committee.
This came after its sole councillor on the committee,Stephen O’Brien, resigned in protest of the chairmanship of Labour’s Coun Pat Smith earlier this year – despite failing to attend any meetings.
After leaving the seat empty for nearly three months and blocking a Conservative bid to fill the seat, the Liberal Democrat and Others group broke the political stalemate this week.
Group leader, Coun Niall Hodson, will now represent the Lib Dems of the committee following the decision at full council to maintain political balance.
The changes followed a motion, presented by Lib Dem councillor Martin Haswell, calling for a review of governance arrangements around scrutiny in line with recommendations from Ofsted’s 2018 report.
However, the motion drew heated comments from councillors at Sunderland Civic Centre, following the Lib Dem group blocking a Conservative bid for the seat in September.
It was later defeated in a council vote of 55-6.
Addressing Stephen O’Brien, he added: “It’s childish to be offered a rattle only to throw it out of the pram and scream your head off because you have got nothing to play with.”
Deputy council leader, Coun Michael Mordey, described the motion as “ridiculous (and) politically-charged,” adding, “I don’t know how they have got the bare-faced cheek.”
Coun Niall Hodson, responding said: “Given what’s gone on over the past three years in Sunderland it’s unusual that this council has not had a debate about children’s services and particularly children’s scrutiny given whats happened with the Ofsted reports and the foundation of TfC.”