Another New Leader for County Liberal Democrates

Their current Leader, Fiona Whelan is stepping down on June 19th, which I guess means they are now embarking on their 3rd leader in a little over 3 years.

Killian Bourke is the new leader elect. He has set his stall out early with the following quote:

“I look forward to continuing the group’s role as a powerful and effective opposition, challenging decisions made by the Conservative administration”

I do hope that effective opposition is what we start to get. For too long opposition has felt like a long series of complaints and grumbles with ill thought through alternatives. Perhaps this change of leadership will herald costed, coherent alternatives to our policies. If they are not be assured we will point it out.

I do have some sympathy for Killian. I get to choose my cabinet. His is elected by his group. So what authority does he have?? Hmmmm

Good luck Killian, we are waiting.

Local county councillors to be more involved

There are 69 County Councillors in Cambridgeshire. For some time there has been concern expressed that sometimes they are not involved enough in things happening in their own divisions. Some say that they are only notified when it is too late to affect the decision that is to be made.

This cannot continue if each of our members is to be a local champion for their division. I have recently placed a duty, on all cabinet members and council officers, to presume local members are to be involved from the outset. This is a significant change from the previous position of involving local members where it was felt necessary. This new emphasis builds on my desire for greater localism and for the council to be even more politically led. Politically led, in this context, means led by the needs of the people of Cambridgeshire not by political parties or council officers.

I have already had to apologies to two opposition members when this new emphasis has not been carried out. I expect the need for apologies to reduce very soon!!

LGA elections

The Local Government Association election of officers is about to take place. The LGA was set up under the Labour government almost as an extension of central government into local government.

I sense the wind of change blowing. With our Conservative government pressing for localism the LGA needs to refocus and streamline.

As an active lobbying organisation on behalf of local government to central government I can see it’s value. Of course all authorities carry this out individually but the collective voice of all authorities must be a louder voice. It must be saying the right things and in the right way. I am not convinced the added services add much to this.

I expect to play an active part in the LGA in the future.

Lib Dem leader steps down

Fiona Whelan steps down as leader of the county Lib Dems after only one year. I’ll health is the reason.

Fractured ankle

I have played cricket for more years than I care to remember. During this time I have broken a number of minor bones but nothing that has stopped me playing. I could not believe it, during the first game of the season, I was hit by a full blooded drive from about 4 meters right on my ankle. I now know that it was fractured that should have seen me go home but having taken a rest I went back out to open the batting. I managed 11 runs before scuttling off to A and E.

This all happened about the time I was elected Leader so it was not great timing. Luckily, it was declared a stable fracture so it was only pain that would hold me back rather than doing any further harm. This meant I could get rid of the boot after a week and the crutches after two. Now, apart from the pain, fully mobile.

I played cricket on saturday and managed to bat through scoring 133 not out – much better.

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government – Eric Pickles

On 19th May I attended a one to one meeting with Eric Pickles in his offices. I was really pleased to be able to make a mark with the SoS only two days after taking over as the Leader of the Council. I had the standard 30 mins, half of which I used telling him about my focus on strong political leadership, localism, enterprise and fiscal responsibility. I was also able to tell him about some of our innovative work to deliver better value and more responsive transport solutions, support for business including access to finance and the enterprise zone and shared services with neighbouring and local councils.

The second half was about me getting a better understanding of his priorities and policy changes to help us better serve our communities. I was able to signal to him that Cambridgeshire is well placed to help lead this country out of recession and into growth.

Creating a working relationship with the SoS is important if we are to benefit as early adopters of initiatives.

Enterprise

Cambridgeshire should be the County which is immediately associated with successful business and business innovation. We need to encourage this and make sure everyone knows the County is not only open for business but is a great place to be in business.

We are the economic heart of the region. The hi-tech, bio tech and increasingly clean tech sectors, along with the Universities here have led this. The Local Enterprise Partnership will be a crucial factor in how we develop this but the County Council can play it’s part in helping make sure we have the right conditions for business to thrive.

I have run successful businesses and understand the sort of support business is looking for.

I expect to be standing shoulder to shoulder with business leaders seeking to attract business to our county.

Localism

Localism and community engagement needs to be at the heart of everything we do. It is all about responding to local needs, wherever possible. It is critical to the success of the council and the success and growth of our communities.

Communities should be able to define their own priorities, what is right for them and what works best for them. The council should be there to help with that process, not just to provide everything to everyone on a one size fits all basis. Of course, sometimes the needs of whole communities and the whole county need to be listened to. Sometimes the needs of one community may conflict with the needs of another community and when this happens we will need to use strong leadership to do the best or sometimes the least bad thing.

Strong Leadership

I believe in strong leadership. Leadership to me is about working with and encouraging colleagues to be their best and creating an environment which allows everyone to flourish.

We are dealing with unprecedented times in terms of the financial challenges facing the council. Taking £161 million of new savings out of our budget over the next 5five years is a huge task. This equates to making savings of £540 million of spending power. A huge amount. This means tough decisions will have to be made and elected members will need to be strong in making and owning those decisions.

Now is not the time for wishy washy politicians.

Full Council – my new leaders speech

Mr Chairman,

It is with great pride that I’m able to address members for the first time as Leader of the Council.

It’s a role I am honoured to take on.

And I am under no illusions about how challenging it will be.

Mr Chairman, it is true to say that despite all the help, advice and support you might receive, this is just the sort of role which nothing quite prepares you.

For instance, having reached the age of 51, and having become a grandfather in recent months, I was a little unprepared for suddenly being described as “The new kid on the block” in the local media.

But sometimes, a new approach, a fresh outlook and perspective, or just a different way of doing things is what is required.

These are unprecedented times, after all.

Which was a phrase used by my predecessor in leading the Council, Jill Tuck.

And it would be remiss of me not to pay tribute to her sound judgment and sure touch as she the led the Council and the County over the past three years.

Her work culminated in this year’s Integrated Plan – the most difficult plan this Council has ever had to develop.

Jill, we are all grateful to you for that, and wish you well for the future.

So.

How will we take the Council’s vision and its Integrated Plan forward?

I have already said that I want the County to be open for business.

To build on the brand Cambridgeshire has, as a local, regional, national and global hub for business innovation.

Our brand is inextricably linked to our Universities and the knowledge economy – which enabled Cambridgeshire to help lead the UK out of recession.

We need to make it our business to support business to grow that brand across the County. So that Fenland benefits as much as South Cambridgeshire or Huntingdonshire.

We made a good start in that direction. We have a LEP based on our County’s natural economic hubs in Cambridge and Peterborough. We are pushing for a Local Enterprise Zone to come here, to Cambridgeshire.

And we are finding new ways to solve local problems through involving business.

Take supporting local transport through the Cambridgeshire Future Transport scheme

Instead of empty buses trundling around the County at huge cost to the taxpayer through subsidies, we will be encouraging and investing in helping businesses, charities and social enterprises to step in and work with local residents and groups to find transport solutions which work for them.

Those solutions will be local.

And localism, Mr Chairman, will be at the heart of this Council’s policies and programmes.

I know how much more local solutions can add.

Ones which communities themselves have developed.

Much better than the council “doing to” or “doing for” people.

We will engage more with communities – work which has already started.

We will listen to communities and act on what they want as far as we are able – and if we cannot help, we’ll work with them to find the people who can.

We will also have to do more in our role as members.

Mr Chairman, if localism is to succeed in Cambridgeshire, that is one of the demands we have to meet.

Put simply, we have to up our game.

But – by the same token – so does the wider Council.

I want to see an enhanced role for members. Of all parties.

I want to see real community champions.

I want to see members making a real difference in their communities.

And I am sure we would all welcome.

So, in order to enable members to achieve their full potential to help communities to achieve theirs, we have to change things.

Too frequently it has seemed that our members are the last to know when policies or papers are formulated or events in their patch take place.

I know how this feels, having stepped up from a back bench role.

We will work to change this. We will revisit communications to Members on key patch issues.

We will also look to invest in members, making sure that colleagues have the skills they so communities benefit.

In short, we will be investing in Councillors so they can become true local leaders, for and of communities.

Unlocking potential.

Developing local solutions.

Innovating.

We all know the potential is there.

Let get on and do it.

Mr Chairman,

We all have a role to play in making this Council as effective as it can possibly be.

I have been thinking hard about some of the structures which we currently have around committees, scrutiny, and policy formulation.

I’ve concluded they are not fit for purpose.

Mt Chairman, We intend to rebalance arrangements for decision making.

So. Under these proposals, Policy Development Groups will go.

Instead, we will develop policy in more dynamic, task and finish style, through Advisory Groups.

Scrutiny Committees will become Overview and Scrutiny, and will be re-cast to mirror the new Cabinet portfolios. Council will determine Overview and Scrutiny Chairmanship and Vice Chairmanship.

Mr Chairman, we have all spent many hours in the Chamber debating items of business which have simply been provided for information.

In my view this reduces our capacity to be doing the work we were elected for by our communities.

So we intend to cut down on the amount of items provided for information, including the requirement for Council to receive reports on all matters discussed in Cabinet.

We intend to change arrangements for questions, both oral and written. And we will strengthen the administration’s hand on appointments to outside bodies and other groups.

Mr Chairman,

These changes are about making sure that Democracy work. And works well.

It is about creating the right environment and structures for strong leadership.

I believe in strong leadership and I want each and every Member here to be a strong leader in their communities. It’s what we were elected for.

I want all Members to play their part in that.

(pause)

Now we have to deliver.

And I am excited about our ability to do so.

We have a vision and priorities which are those of residents.

We have a very, very strong financial track record.

We have a talented team of officers at all levels from the frontline upwards who will deliver our vision and priorities under our leadership.

It will take energy.

It will take commitment.

It will mean taking difficult decisions.

Mr Chairman.

It’s time to get started.