Friday, March 18, 2005
The Lib Dems won the June 2004 Cardiff Council elections, how have they done?
The Liberal Democrats in Cardiff are a populist party that fought a highly personalised campaign against the former Leader of the Council, Russell Goodway, during the last Labour Administration. One dimensional political campaigning and a lack of experience in exercising power has resulted in an unimaginative Liberal Democrat Council more interested in popularity than decision-making.
As a first step the Liberal Democrats dismantled the Council’s decision-making structures in the expectation of replacing them with a complex committee structure this year, then the National Assembly for Wales stopped their plans because they were undemocratic! Decisions are taken by a seven person Executive but unlike the Labour Administration no one Executive Member is personally responsible for decisions making it difficult to hold the Executive to account for their actions.
In July the Lib Dems denied Labour (with 27 Councillors) seats on the powerful Welsh Local Government Association yet gave the Tories and Plaid Cymru (who between them had only 15 Councillors) three seats.
In autumn the Lib Dems launched a process that will probably lead to school closures. A series of public consultation meetings were held in February but the Council failed to publicise them properly and only 150 people turned up to the three meetings, reducing the value of holding them.
In September Labour Councillors revealed e-mail evidence of an attempt to mislead the residents of Splott. Although cleared of breaching the Councillors Code of Conduct, the Lib Dem Deputy Leader, Cllr. Judith Woodman, agreed the wording of her e-mail to a colleague was “ill-advised”. Then Cllr. Jane Reece left the Lib Dems criticising Council Leader, Rodney Berman and Deputy Leader, Judith Woodman of not dealing with issues she had taken to them.
The Lib Dems tried to blame Labour in the Assembly for increasing Council Tax but their fox was shot when it was realised the Lib Dems were trying to hide unnecessary increases in the Council’s budget behind the smokescreen of revaluation.
As a first step the Liberal Democrats dismantled the Council’s decision-making structures in the expectation of replacing them with a complex committee structure this year, then the National Assembly for Wales stopped their plans because they were undemocratic! Decisions are taken by a seven person Executive but unlike the Labour Administration no one Executive Member is personally responsible for decisions making it difficult to hold the Executive to account for their actions.
In July the Lib Dems denied Labour (with 27 Councillors) seats on the powerful Welsh Local Government Association yet gave the Tories and Plaid Cymru (who between them had only 15 Councillors) three seats.
In autumn the Lib Dems launched a process that will probably lead to school closures. A series of public consultation meetings were held in February but the Council failed to publicise them properly and only 150 people turned up to the three meetings, reducing the value of holding them.
In September Labour Councillors revealed e-mail evidence of an attempt to mislead the residents of Splott. Although cleared of breaching the Councillors Code of Conduct, the Lib Dem Deputy Leader, Cllr. Judith Woodman, agreed the wording of her e-mail to a colleague was “ill-advised”. Then Cllr. Jane Reece left the Lib Dems criticising Council Leader, Rodney Berman and Deputy Leader, Judith Woodman of not dealing with issues she had taken to them.
The Lib Dems tried to blame Labour in the Assembly for increasing Council Tax but their fox was shot when it was realised the Lib Dems were trying to hide unnecessary increases in the Council’s budget behind the smokescreen of revaluation.
