TIME PLEASE

It’s always good to get a quote in the Gazette, so my “time limit” comment highlighted in the review of Thursday’s full Council meeting is much appreciated.

However, that’s the only good thing about the article, as its content presents a very worrying scenario and trend.

Councillor and Mayor Tracie Dixon has publicly stated that she intends to use the Councils constitution to limit public questions to 20 minutes re future full meetings.

In other words she intends to limit open democracy to 20 minutes per month and gag the public.

Whether she actually agrees with the approach and whether she has become a puppet of the controlling Labour hierarchy, her so far dignified tenure as Mayor is now in disrepute. How would she like to be remembered: as a Mayor who highlighted what is best in this Borough, or the mayor who stopped the public from holding its Councillors to account and as a result brought the whole concept of open local government into disrepute?

The decision is hers and hers alone.