The trend over recent years has been to party / group structures in councils. Even the Independents have an independent group on the Council and take a group position. I see from your profile that you are interested in being a politician and I’d advise you to decide which party is closest to your own views and join it (though I fear it might not by my party as William Hague is your favourite person)
It depends on the committees and on the individual councillors. And sometimes you feel you have to react if someone says something against your party. For example, if a Labour councillor said that the SNP government was cutting the amount of money they give to Dumfries and Galloway Council, I would feel I had to defend the government and say something like, ‘That’s because there’s less money to hand out this year, because your UK government made a mess of the economy.’ On the other hand, there’s a lot of the time in the council when politics is not mentioned, and councillors vote with councillors of other parties. That happens in things like planning or licensing. If someone wants a taxi licence and some councillors think he/she should get in and others think not, there will be a vote and it will not be along party lines. And we talk to people in other parties. And sometimes we like some people in other parties better than some people in our own party!
Yes, billy, there is a lot of party politics at council level. The Administration is a minority one and has to depend on other political groups for support. The down side is that it often slows down the decision making process but the up side is that it encourages us to talk together. The one thing we all have in common is that we want to do our best for the communities we serve. It’s just that we often disagree on what’s best and how to achieve it.
If I could correct a mistake here, independents do not have a group position.
The independent councillors are obliged to form a group in order to access committee seats through the proportionality rule. Before parties, it was not necessary to do this in councils.
My apologies, Madame Maitland, how could I have overlooked the independents when I was typing my answer? But later, I had a feeling you would come back with a comment. But can you still read this, even though you have been evicted?
Billy – it takes all sorts, as they say. At least you are interested in politics though I hope you will find enlightenment in due course and change your allegiance
billy
The trend over recent years has been to party / group structures in councils. Even the Independents have an independent group on the Council and take a group position. I see from your profile that you are interested in being a politician and I’d advise you to decide which party is closest to your own views and join it (though I fear it might not by my party as William Hague is your favourite person)
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It depends on the committees and on the individual councillors. And sometimes you feel you have to react if someone says something against your party. For example, if a Labour councillor said that the SNP government was cutting the amount of money they give to Dumfries and Galloway Council, I would feel I had to defend the government and say something like, ‘That’s because there’s less money to hand out this year, because your UK government made a mess of the economy.’ On the other hand, there’s a lot of the time in the council when politics is not mentioned, and councillors vote with councillors of other parties. That happens in things like planning or licensing. If someone wants a taxi licence and some councillors think he/she should get in and others think not, there will be a vote and it will not be along party lines. And we talk to people in other parties. And sometimes we like some people in other parties better than some people in our own party!
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Yes, billy, there is a lot of party politics at council level. The Administration is a minority one and has to depend on other political groups for support. The down side is that it often slows down the decision making process but the up side is that it encourages us to talk together. The one thing we all have in common is that we want to do our best for the communities we serve. It’s just that we often disagree on what’s best and how to achieve it.
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