GREAT – Dorset Council is debating on July 15 moving to the ‘committee’ system of operating, replacing the more closed ‘cabinet’ system.
In the latter the leader of the biggest party selects councillors for their cabinet without regard to the proportions of how the electorate have voted for councillors, and personally appoints their cabinet of 10 members, every one drawn from the same party, who effectively run the policy for the county (and on just 39.3 per cent of the electorate’s vote).
The ‘cabinet’ system can lead to strange decisions.
Dorset Council has a shovel-ready model.
The leader who took over after the offices debacle in West Dorset highly successfully introduced the committee system there, and is today a DC councillor, as are a dozen WDDC councillors from those co-operative ‘committee’ days.
The chief executive from then was also promoted to todays’ DC chief executive.
The DC cabinet can agree the conversion without referendum time or cost. Post-Covid gives a great new fresh start opportunity. Probably wise however to plan well and delay its working introduction till May 2022.
JOHN GRANTHAM
Burton Bradstock
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