| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Invite for Councillors to respond | |
| Posted by: | Vanessa Smith | |
| Date/Time: | 06/05/19 11:22:00 |
| I think - Mr. Brownlee, you are not getting the purpose of local Forums, these fill a real gap that used to be filled by decent local newspapers, who had reporters that attended council meetings and knew councillors and local issues and helped hold them to account. With the use of more and more technology local government services and indeed councillors are getting more and more remote, from the people they are supposed to be representing. Combine that with the 'cabinet system' adopted by local councils that puts a lot of power into the hands of just a few with a lot less scrutiny, and how are local people supposed to be able to raise points and issues of concern? The arrogance of some elected members is staggering, they seem to delight in batting away genuine questions and think that they know it all - clearly they do not. These forums therefore fill a vital gap where locals can flag up things and offer a discussion and information opportunity. They also help shine a light into some murky corners and offer help and advice to a lot of local groups. Now, you may think this is 'twaddle' - I call it holding our elected representatives to account where their policies and proposals are not necessarily seen as being in our best interests, known otherwise as local democracy in action. |