Following the frankly shameful passing of the dangerous and uncosted Green Party budget that was supported by LABOUR please be advised that the Progressive Independent Group will be playing no active role in the scrutiny panel investigating the withdrawal from shared services under PUBLICA.
There are two main reasons for our position which we list here.
It is clear, despite denials , from press releases , statements and previous meetings that decisions on the withdrawal have already been made and the panel is simply a ratification process for those decisions.
It is our belief that this panel should have heard evidence about all financial and strategic implications before such Council decisions were made and public statements made. Then it should have passed their judgement onto the executive to consider alongside its strategic ambition before announcing its decision, The SOSC is being used to evidence its decision rather than to guide it.
Also following the attempts by the Chairman of The Scrutiny Committee and the Labour Group Leader , witnessed at Thursdays's full council meeting ,to damage the capital programme of the Council for what we consider to be personal reasons, we have no confidence in the panel's ability to lead a true and fair inquiry.
We will use the Full Council to debate and consider our position on such issues, and will do so vigorously.
