Eight Labour Councillors Vote YES To Keep Nursery Open On N.B.C & Then Vote YES To Close It On N.C.C?


Parents protest outside County Hall to keep the Leicester Street Day Nursery open for their disabled children before an emotional full council meeting last month


Eight Labour Councillors At Centre Of 'Dual Council Voting' Row


Update from Cllr Phil Larratt (Con - East Hunsbury) below


Eight Labour councillors have found themselves at the centre of a storm over their 'dual rolls' on both the Northampton Borough Council & the Northamptonshire County Council.


The eight labour councillors are - Cllr Terry Wire, Cllr Dr Viv Dams, Cllr Jas Bains, Cllr John Gardner (Chair of the County Council), Cllr Chaman Kalyan, Cllr Arthur McCutcheon, Cllr Les Patterson and Cllr Winston Strachan.


Another Borough Council Executive member, Cllr Debbie Boss is married to Cllr Mike Boss who is not only on both councils but also sits on the Executive of the County Council (he is also going to be next year's Mayor with Wire as his deputy!!!)


UPDATE UPDATE


Cllr Phil Larratt (Con - East Hunsbury) told Webby today:


"The Conservative Group on Northampton Borough Council has consistently opposed the closure of the Leicester Street Day Nursery. We opposed its closure unanimously three years ago, and we opposed it unanimously again this year. The two Conservative Councillors who sit on both the County and Borough Councils were consistent in opposing the closure on both.


"Leicester Street Day Nursery is a wonderful facility that provides for the most vulnerable and less fortunate within the community, namely the young with special needs. It is a facility appreciated by those who use it and the community at large.


"The schizophrenic behaviour of Labour Councillors who sit on both Council’s never ceases to amaze me. They cannot represent the community of Northampton one way on the Borough Council and then in a totally opposite way on the County Council. To do so is simply dishonest.


"These Labour Councillors, by their actions in the Borough Council, raised the hopes and expectations of many of the hardworking and honest people who campaigned so tirelessly and with such vigour to save the facility. However, when these Councillors got to the County Council they reneged on their promises, shattering the hopes and expectations of those campaigners to whom they had earlier indicated their support.


"I believe that Councillors simply cannot behave in this way. It is immoral and insulting to the electorate who empower them.


"These Councillors should now clear their conscience. I believe that they should resign their seats and seek re-election so that the electorate that they claim to represent can voice their opinion on the actions of their so-called representatives.


"I only hope that when the people of Northampton next have the opportunity to voice their opinion on these Labour Councillors through the ballot box, that they remember the scenario of Leicester Street Day Nursery – particularly the false promises and blatant dishonesty." Cllr P. Larratt


They have also all been described today as being two-faced, deceitful and greedy and calls for their resignations are growing after their voting pattern was disclosed to members of the public in the town centre today and parents of children at the LSDN.


One lady who wished to remain anonymous told Webby today "If you are a councillor on the Borough Council then you have no business sitting on the County Council.


"I often wonder if councillors are more attracted to the financial rewards they receive rather than representing their constituents interests?


"This incident brings to the forefront the more unpleasant possibilities of politics and the dangers of a party returning the same old faces after being given a facelift at each election, after all familiarity is said to breed contempt!"


Another simply said "This bunch have caused nothing but trouble for the poor, disabled and the most vulnerable in Northampton, they should all resign."


I received a number of other points of view but they were unprintable, even though I agreed with some of them.


It is worth noting that Cllr K. Davies (Leader N.B.C - Lab Ecton Brook) has made his position clear on several occasions that he does not believe that councillors who sit on the Borough Council should also sit on the County Council and I for one agree with him.


Gordon White (Socialist Alliance Party) told Webby:


"I think that they should resign. This is an issue of principle they agree to support the Nursery in one Council then about turn on the other one presumably without any statement as to why.


"There are conflicts of interest here but surely the Borough Labour Group should mandate its joint members on an issue like this to vote the same way in both Councils. I assume that there is a whip system on the Borough. I think that in future any statements these joint Councillors they make on the Borough will have to be viewed with cynicism.


There should also be an amendment to the electoral rules that you can not jointly sit on the Borough and County Council."


One of Northampton's most respected politicians Cllr Richard Church (Lib Dem - Kingsthorpe) explained today what all the fuss was about:


"A motion proposed by Cllr John Yates (Lib Dem - Boughton Green) at Full Council of the Borough opposing the closure of the Leicester Street Day Nursery (LSDN) was referred to the Executive by the Labour Group, who didn't want to debate it at Full Council.


Cllr R. Church


"The minute's from the following Executive committee reads: 'That the Executive support the terms of the motion vie, "that this Council recognises the support given to local families by Leicester Street Nursery and backs the campaign by parents, staff and the local community to keep this important facility. Council therefore asks Northamptonshire County Council to reconsider its proposals to close the nursery.



"The Executive approved that minute unanimously, but Cllr Terry Wire (Deputy Leader NBC - Lab St James) as a County Councillor, voted for the Labour budget on the County Council to close the nursery, as did a number of other Labour councillors who sit on both councils.
"I pointed that out and Cllr Keith Davies just replied that the inconsistency was for his colleague to explain. He didn't.



"It's not a conflict of interest, it is one of plain honesty and consistency. If you vote one way on one council, you should do the same on the other.
"I think that Cllr Terry Wire should explain his position to the people who elected him in St. James to both councils. Surely they expect him to say the same thing on one council as on another."


Webby is awaiting a number of further responses to this issue and I shall update you ASAP.