Minutes:
The Leader of the Council, Councillor J W Boyce, spoke upon the adjournment debate granted to the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Harborough Constituency, The Rt Hon Sir Edward Garnier MP QC, regarding the Governance of Oadby and Wigston Borough Council as debated in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 06 September 2016.
The Leader described the speech delivered by Sir Edward as a recapitulation of - together with other concomitant matters - the ongoing issue(s) regarding the collective staff grievance against the Senior Management Team (SMT). He said that the information to which Sir Edward referred had already been shared with Members since the grievance’s inception, which Members’ were holding to account, and was freely available in the public domain (to the extent permissible by law). It was noted that neither he nor the Chief Executive was made aware that the debate was to go ahead until short-notice. He advised Members that the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Mr Marcus Jones MP, was fully and honestly briefed by this Council prior to the debate. The documents that were provided to Mr Jones were tabled and circulated to Members at the meeting.
With reference to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary’s response, the Leader emphasised that the Council’s external auditor, KPMG, was not of the opinion that there was a threat to neither this Council’s viability nor any risk of service failure. He further sought to clarify that no Member or Officer at the Council had any former relationship with any of the two external Officers appointed to assist in the matter in question. He stated that the grievance was being dealt with in the most open and transparent way possible in conjunction with the ongoing work undertaken by the Change Management Committee to drive and deliver a schedule of Council-wide improvements together with the assistance of the Local Government Association (LGA). He noted the importance of concluding the matter in the proper fashion.
The Leader further emphasised that the Council enjoyed a highly-motivated and highly-trained complement of staff who worked tirelessly to make a difference to the Borough and proposed to Members that a list detailing the achievements made by the Council in the preceding year be published on the Council’s website thanking the same.
The Leader advised that he was prepared to answer Members’ questions by suspending the Council Procedure Rules set out in Part 4 of the Constitution.
Councillor Mrs S B Morris moved that the Council Procedure Rules (capable of suspension) as set out in Part 4 of the Constitution be suspended.
Councillors J Kaufman seconded Councillor Mrs S B Morris’ motion.
RESOLVED THAT:
The Council Procedure Rules (capable of suspension) as set out in Part 4 of the Constitution be suspended.
Votes For 18
Votes Against 0
Abstentions 3
Councillor Mrs L M Broadley enquired as to: (i) what the Harborough MP’s motivation was behind the debate; (ii) why the Leader and, or, the Chief Executive was not formally approached by the MP prior to the debate; and (iii) the debate’s outcome.
The Leader stated he was unaware of the motive or the reason why he or the Chief Executive was not approached, but alleged a possible party-politically cause. He advised that the MP was made aware of the complained-of issue(s) at two meetings in November 2015 and February 2016 and that despite offers by himself and Chief Executive to share further information, all such offers were declined. He further advised that the Parliamentary Under-Secretary did not consider that any intervention on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) was warranted and that the Under-Secretary would continue to monitor the situation.
Councillor J Kaufmann asked the Leader whether he agreed to make certain that the electronic correspondence to which the Harborough MP referred to in his speech did not exist on the Council’s premises.
The Leader stated that no such electronic correspondence had been found.
The Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor M H Charlesworth, asked the Leader whether he agreed if the Harborough MP had chosen to unduly and politically capitalise on the grievance in question and if the Council’s staff had been unfairly dragged into the political spotlight.
The Leader opined that the way in which the MP chose to intervene was unfortunate and that his intervention was not exclusively done for, and in the interests of, the residents of the Borough. He stated that the MP’s speech did not raise any new information that had not hitherto been dealt with openly and transparently.
Councillor Mrs H E Loydall asked the Leader whether he agreed if the Harborough MP had used his parliamentary privilege to attack the Council and, if so, if this Council would otherwise be subject to legal action had the opposite been true.
The Leader agreed that parliamentary privilege had been used to attack the Council. He advised that he would take legal advice on the Member’s latter question.
Councillor K J Loydall sought the Leader’s comments upon the valued contributions and work ethic of Officers towards the achievements made by the Council to date.
The Leader stated that the Council’s workforce was working harder, more efficiently and more cheerfully than previously and warned of the negative impact on the same of commentator’s historically-applying what may have been to the current situation.
Councillor G A Boulter asked the Leader whether he agreed that the Council was continuing to maintain and protect frontline services and if a form of reassurance could be put to all Council staff to reiterate Members’ support at the present time.
The Leader agreed that frontline services were being maintained and protected and that all Council staff were to be written to with a list of achievement alongside Members’ gratitude.
The Leader of the Council moved that the Council Procedure Rules set out in Part 4 of the Constitution be re-instated.
The Deputy Leader of the Council seconded The Leader’s motion.
UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED THAT:
The Council Procedure Rules as set out in Part 4 of the Constitution be re-instated.
Councillor D A Gamble left the Chamber at 7:57 pm.