Consolidation of power

Sir, - Robert Alexander is largely correct in his view of rubber stamping by councillors but he misses a key point that’s summarised in the adage: a councillor is the public’s representative to the council; a senior councillor is the council’s representative to the public.

When a new administration takes over, its senior members get offices near the top officials and begin to work with those officials.

It is human nature to work with rather than against those you interact with regularly, particularly when, in large part, you have similar goals.

To varying degrees, those senior councillors are turned round until they are defending the council against the public.

Public criticism of councils, which quite reasonably doesn’t often distinguish between failures of politicians and failures of officials, promotes this bonding.

Add to that the short notice ordinary councillors have of the decisions they’re asked to make and the rubber stamping should come as no surprise to anyone.

The answer is much more scrutiny but ruling political groups don’t like scrutiny. Cllr Dave Dempsey. Leader, Fife Council Conservatives, 7 Carlingnose Park, North Queensferry.

Public criticism of councils, which quite reasonably doesn’t often distinguish between failures of politicians and failures of officials, promotes this bonding