Letter: Some Councillors Prefer to Work Out of the Limelight

Published on: 11 Mar, 2023
Updated on: 11 Mar, 2023

From: Tony Rooth

Independent borough councillor for Pilgrims ward

In response to: Responsibility for Accountability – the Lib Dems Should Take Their Fair Share

As a councillor for nearly 20 years, I try to take a balanced view of councillors’ responsibility and accountability towards residents.

Cllr Maddy Redpath rather overstates the situation in her comparison of interviews taken by lead councillors, as shown in her table. The council has been run for nearly four years as a “coalition” with leadership alternating between Lib Dems (May 2019 to September 2020), R4GV (September 2020 to September 2022) and then back to the Lib Dems.

I have had a fair few interviews in my time, especially whilst on the Executive as council leader and lead councillor for major portfolios such as Finance and Housing.

Those with responsibility for controversial, higher-profile issues have the biggest number of interviews. Hence, plenty of interviews with Joss Bigmore about the Local Plan, collaboration with Waverley and his leadership role, with him and John Redpath about council customer services, Tim Anderson about budgets and John Rigg about Regeneration, especially North Street.

Lead councillors with equally important portfolios and less public profiles may prefer to work more behind the scenes than be interviewed. Cllr Julia McShane is responsible for housing and community, a very heavy portfolio in itself as well being council leader.

As usual, it was a thoughtful article [Dodging Questions Is a Telling Failure] from The Dragon.

Elections are coming in May but nonetheless, many residents perhaps appreciate less than a deluge of political points scoring from our political parties, including R4GV.