Why vote of No confidence is very serious

Whitby Town Council and Filey Town Council have both passed motions of No confidence in the leader and the cabinet of Scarborough Borough Council.

Some may think this is merely gesture politics, a stunt with no substance.

Let me assure the public that this is not true.

Opposition councillors, including my Labour colleague in Streonshalh, Cllr Barnett, have been constantly frustrated in our efforts to find out the true state of affairs at SBC.

Every March, like clockwork, the council meets to set the budget for the upcoming year. This year is no exception.

As I write on Monday afternoon, the meeting is just four days away ... and yet we councillors are still to receive the budget papers.

The leader Cllr Bastiman and the cabinet expect us to read what I anticipate to be a huge mountain of material and come to a reasoned conclusion over the most important decision we take each year in less than four days.

Or perhaps the Tory administration does not care whether or not we do have access to the budget proposals – because they are able to push through any decision they like.

This is not an isolated example.

On January 9, we were asked to take a very important decision, ie to spend £4 million of the council’s cash on the demolition of the Futurist theatre.

After months of promises that we would have an expert’s report to help us make our decision, we finally received the papers on December 23.

More details were provided just a few days before the decision was taken.

Can we possibly have confidence in a leader and cabinet that simply do not care whether or not other councillors (of all parties) who are not in the inner circle, let alone the electorate, know what is going on?

Councillor Gerald Dennett

Mayfield Ward Scarborough Town Hall