South Kesteven Council descended into chaos yesterday when the Chairman and Deputy Leader failed to give direct answers to a simple question about the time of the meeting. The consequent debate lasted a full 10 minutes purely because a decision had been taken by the Conservative group without any consultation with the rest of the Council.

Cllr Lee Steptoe (Lab) (LS) raised the original question with the Deputy Leader of the Council, Coun Kelham Cooke (Con) (KC) because the Leader, Cllr Matthew Lee (Con) had decided to take a holiday which prevented him from attending Full Council.

Here’s what was said:

LS: “I believe that the meeting times for Full Council were changed after the last meeting. Historically I believe that meetings have always started at 2pm. That has now been moved forward to 1pm. Can I ask what consultation within the Council and the public was made on this issue? Members of the public do attend. Some of us work full-time as well as being elected members and it’s a lot of hassle quite frankly to book time off and so on. It is a personal inconvenience – I’m sure I’ll get over it – but what consultation took place with elected members and with the public before this decision was arrived at?

KC: “Thank you Madam Chairman and thank you Cllr Steptoe. Obviously it is not for me to dictate to any Chairman of any Committee or even to this Council as to what time they meet. The Chairman, Cllr Jacky Smith (JS), took the decision to move that meeting to 1pm. Personally, I also work full-time and I know that a number of people in this room also have young families and children so it gives them the ability to pick their children up from school. But it is ultimately up to the Chairman.

Cllr Baxter (AB): “Thank you Madam Chairman, may I ask the same question to the Chair of the Council?

JS: “Yes there were some discussions and it was agreed that we would try it to see how it went. There was quite a feeling that we ought to move the meeting People do have to go and collect children from school. It is to try to ensure that we get the maximum number of people attending the Council meeting.

(AB): “Madam Chairman, the question was “Who was consulted and when?” because I wasn’t consulted and I don’t think Cllr Steptoe was consulted either?

(Long pause)

JS: Any other questions?

Cllr Knowles (PK): Can we have an answer to the last question, please?

JS: “The question has been put and I have answered it to the best of my abilities…

(Loud mutterings of “really?” from the floor)

PK: Who was consulted, Madam Chairman?

JS: “The question has been put and I have answered it. It was discussed among a number of people and it was agreed to move the time.

There then followed a number of interventions including from Cllr Bosworth (Con) who said she supported the change of time and from last year’s Chair, Cllr Stevens Con) who begged to differ with Cllr Bosworth and suggested the whole Council should be consulted. The Chair then continued:

 JS: “It was discussed. We had quite a few comments about having it at a different time. I know the Leader of the Council was involved in the discussions and a number of other people were involved. (Cries of “Who?”) It is also the Chairman’s decision. I agreed, because there were a number of requests for it, to try it. Now we can have further discussions, we can take more soundings. There were Council members who were involved (Cries of “Who?”). I think what this is indicating that we need to do, with the leader and deputy leader, is to set up some method of having further discussions but we can’t at any time please everyone.

There then followed further comments and chaotic discussion about whether the issue should be referred to Constitution Committee, whether the Council had become an autocracy and one Councillor claimed that members were being disrespectful to the Chair.

It was then asserted that the decision to move the time of the meeting had already been discussed and decided by Full Council. This was disputed.

The Chair concluded the debate by proposing that the 1pm start would be retained for a year in order to establish the impact on attendance and then the decision should be reviewed next year.

The purpose of this post is to inform, educate and entertain. If you find this kind of post interesting, please hit the like button or share it on social media. This will give me an indication of whether such detailed feedback from Council meetings is useful. It is quite time-consuming but I have only related this particular incident because I am still so upset about the attitude and conduct of senior Conservatives in relation to the very next item on the agenda which was “Charter for Trees”. Another blogpost coming soon!