Anyone who follows my postings regularly will notice that I haven’t managed one yet this week. This has been for a number of reasons (bank holiday & others too tedious to mention so I won’t!) so here are two weeks worth …
The last fortnight has gone from the ridiculous to the sublime – from 8 council related events the week before last to only two this week. But of course this is just how it goes.
And you will I’m sure be very pleased, even grateful, to hear that I’m not going to tell about them all, just two examples on procedural matters, both new for me, that I actually found quite fascinating (but feel free to yawn at any point!)
At full council last week it was the first occasion I was party to a ‘named’ vote. It needs 10 councillors to stand up to indicate that everyone present has to verbally state their voting intention. It felt a bit like being back in school as the appropriate council officer read out our names, and by the time it got to me – I’m second but last – I was convinced I was going to say the wrong thing! (Another first – I can now say I have actually spoken at full council!!)
This week’s only formal council meeting was the full planning committee which can also potentially be attended by all councillors. As with all such meetings, councillors are guided by recommendations made by the officers who are experienced in planning law and its many nuances. However there are times when they might still get voted against, at which time there has to be a second vote on the reason for doing so. This was a new experience for me, and curiously it actually relied to a certain degree on the same officers supplying the appropriate valid reason, but then this is politics!
The last fortnight has gone from the ridiculous to the sublime – from 8 council related events the week before last to only two this week. But of course this is just how it goes.
And you will I’m sure be very pleased, even grateful, to hear that I’m not going to tell about them all, just two examples on procedural matters, both new for me, that I actually found quite fascinating (but feel free to yawn at any point!)
At full council last week it was the first occasion I was party to a ‘named’ vote. It needs 10 councillors to stand up to indicate that everyone present has to verbally state their voting intention. It felt a bit like being back in school as the appropriate council officer read out our names, and by the time it got to me – I’m second but last – I was convinced I was going to say the wrong thing! (Another first – I can now say I have actually spoken at full council!!)This week’s only formal council meeting was the full planning committee which can also potentially be attended by all councillors. As with all such meetings, councillors are guided by recommendations made by the officers who are experienced in planning law and its many nuances. However there are times when they might still get voted against, at which time there has to be a second vote on the reason for doing so. This was a new experience for me, and curiously it actually relied to a certain degree on the same officers supplying the appropriate valid reason, but then this is politics!
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