PCC meeting abandoned after chairman row

A MEETING to monitor the work of Thames Valley’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) was abandoned over a political squabble as to which councillor should chair the group.

The Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel examines and reviews how PCC Matthew Barber ensures that Thames Valley Police, which covers Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire, runs effectively and offers support to his work.

It is seen as a scrutiny function with members remaining politically neutral.

At the start of the meeting, Khalid Ahmed, the panel’s scrutiny officer, announced that a pre-meeting briefing had led to the decision to appoint a temporary chair.

That was required to approve the transfer of one of the panel’s places from Buckinghamshire Council to Milton Keynes Council to achieve more equal representation.

Cllr Robin Bradburn (Lib Dem, Milton Keynes Council) noted that any temporary chair was likely to end up in an “uncomfortable position” and clarified with Mr Ahmed that whoever it was would have the casting vote should there be deadlock on any matters that followed.

The 20-strong panel includes two independent members who are not councillors. One of those, Phillip Morrice, was voted into that post with eight votes, including his own. Cllr David Carroll (Con, Buckinghamshire Council) had received seven votes without voting himself.

Once the new makeup was confirmed, the meeting moved on to the vote for a permanent chair.

Cllr Bradburn and Cllr Keith McLean (Con, Milton Keyne) were put forward and received eight votes apiece.

Mr Morrice had voted for Cllr Bradburn and was invited to use his casting vote by Mr Ahmed but Cllr Simon Rouse (Con, Buckinghamshire) interjected, telling Mr Ahmed: “For the record, you noted that Mr Morrice vacated the chair for that agenda item, you led that agenda item.

“I would also point to the fact that the point of order at the beginning of the meeting sought an independent member to chair it because they were, by definition, independent in what was clearly going to be a political group vote.”

Cllr Bradburn argued the vacation had been done in error. Conservative councillors proposed a new temporary chair but it soon became apparent that any vote would be deadlocked at eight votes each.

The meeting was adjourned for talks to end the impasse but there was no breakthrough and it was abandoned without the PCC presenting his annual report, hearing the panel’s annual report or running through topical issues as planned.

There are 10 Conservative councillors on the panel with four Liberal Democrats, three Labour, one Green and two independents.

The panel is next scheduled to meet on Friday, September 16.