Aims and Objectives
The Group has been formed in response to the crisis of representation and accountability on Herefordshire Council.
We welcome councillors and supporters from all political parties other than the BNP and from none.
Our principal objective is to make the present constitution of the Council fully functional and to improve it.
We will campaign for a range of measures to strengthen the scrutiny system and to ensure that scrutiny committees play a proper role in questioning and opposing the Executive. Our immediate and minimum demand is that they should comply with Statutory Guidance. We strongly believe that committees should be opened up to co-opted members of the public, expert witnesses and opportunities for direct contributions from the public.
We will have no whipping and our members will be free to vote according to their own political inclinations.
On the other hand, we will facilitate genuine and open discussion on all issues.
For an initial period of up to 12 months the Leader will be Councillor Marcelle Lloyd-Hayes. There will be annual elections for Leader at an agreed Annual General Meeting.
We will campaign for senior Council officers to develop efficiency and effectiveness in their service to elected members and the public and to demonstrate the level of commitment that they already expect from their less senior colleagues.
We will provide a regular information bulletin and website that will assist interested persons in understanding how the Council is being run.
We welcome the formation of a formal support group with whom we can share ideas, problems and work.
For the foreseeable future we will work to ensure that in any forthcoming by-elections candidates are elected who support our objectives.
We intend that this group should remain in being until the next county elections or the fulfillment of our limited, democratic objectives.
