Does Covid-19 mean dilution of local democracy?

by Cllr Gavin Barrie

Readers may be unaware that

The City of Edinburgh Council has instigated special decisionmaking powers to assist in getting business done during the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently all Committee business has been suspended and, in its place, a select group of elected members known as the Leadership Advisory Panel has been constituted. This is in line with current terms of reference for Committees. The panel consists of the Council Leader (SNP) Deputy Leader (Labour) and a representative from the Greens, LibDems and Conservatives.

Gone is the previous accepted normality of each Party being given seats on a committee in relation to the numbers of elected members they have, or in the case of the 63 elected members of Council, every individual member being able to debate and vote on agenda items. This panel of five elected members, will in fact be acting and taking decisions instead of Full Council, or any committee of the Council.

The first meeting of the Panel will see in excess of 20 items on the agenda including some that may be classified as ‘B Agenda Items,’ not available for public viewing for various reasons such as containing personal or financially sensitive information.

In addition to this, elected members have accepted that in the fast-moving world of a global pandemic the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Council Leader and his Deputy, can make urgent decisions relating to Council issues and COVID-19. Hence various decisions being made like closing schools, suspending parking charges, sending staff to work from home and many more, and all of these done without discussion by a committee of elected members as would be the norm.

All fair enough you might say; special measures for special circumstances?

From my point of view, perhaps but not quite. For many months now the Independent Councillors, who for various reasons are no longer members of main stream political groups, have been trying to get their voices and views, and those of the residents they represent, heard at a committee level in the Council. This had met with resistance form the SNP Labour Administration and the Green Party. So great is this resistance that they voted, unprecedently, to completely ignore a report by the Council Chief Executive that, acknowledging Electoral Commission advice on what constitutes a Party, and using the same formula that awards them seats on committees, to deny Independent Members seats on committees.

Why does this matter even more now?

As described above, the Leadership Advisory Panel only consists of members of the main-steam political parties, and this Panel may be in place for many months ahead. They will be acting on behalf of Council where all elected members have rights. That means that whilst Independent Members can put a formal motion to the Panel for consideration, they can take no part in any discussion, question officers, or vote on any matter up for decision. This is a failure of democracy that can easily be remedied. An early decision of the Leadership Panel could be to include a member to speak on behalf of the Independent Members. I am already aware that this would be supported by the LibDem and the Conservatives Groups.

I’ll leave it the reader to surmise why the SNP, Labour and Greens Groups would deny full democratic representation at this time of crisis.

The Independent Councillors want to do what they can to assist in the running of the city at this extraordinary time.

Personally, I believe it is time petty Party Politics aside for the good of the city and its citizens.

Cllr Gavin Barrie acts as

Secretariat to the Edinburgh Party of Independent Councillors (EPIC)