Last week in this column, I wrote about how the Labour Administration at Crawley Borough Council are choosing to ignore the democratic verdict delivered by the people of Crawley, by forcing through majorities for Labour on every single committee at the Council. This is despite the fact that if any sense of fairness and proportionality was applied, some committees would be equal sized between Labour and Conservative Councillors, due to the fact that the Council is now made up of 19 Labour Councillors (51%) and 18 Conservative Councillors (49%).
Crawley Labour’s local disdain for democracy has been further evidenced this week with the publication of the agenda for the Annual Council meeting that takes place on Friday 29th of May. Last year’s Annual Council meeting saw the unprecedented and grubby spectacle of Labour seizing every available paid committee chairmanship and vice-chairmanship for themselves. In an instant, we had a record number and percentage of a ruling political group at Crawley Borough Council, awarding themselves positions of responsibility and substantial rises in Council allowances.
This year we are likely to see the same appalling behaviour again, although it is now as unjustified as it could ever possibly be, given that the only opposition group on the Council is as large as it could be, without actually having a majority. Labour are proposing that 18 of their 19 Councillors are given a position of responsibility at the Council that attracts extra financial payment. Despite the fact that the previous Conservative Administration used to share these roles with other parties, Labour are proposing that not one of the 18 strong Conservative opposition are given any such role to carry out.
It is very clear that Crawley’s Labour Councillors do not believe in fairness or respect the fact that nearly two thirds of Crawley voters didn’t vote Labour three weeks ago, with over half voting Conservative. If you live in Bewbush, Broadfield, Gossops Green, Ifield, Langley Green, Northgate, Southgate, Tilgate or West Green, you have at least one Labour Councillor who is planning to vote this week to create a totally closed-shop town hall.
Councillor Duncan Crow, Leader of Crawley Borough Council Conservative Group
27 May 2015