Dudley Mayor Defends Controversial Decision to Override Legal Advice
Dudley's mayor has sparked significant controversy by defending his decision to ignore the explicit advice of the council's top legal officer during a recent full council meeting. The row erupted on January 29th during a debate concerning the reinstatement of grit bins following a recent cold snap, highlighting deep divisions within the local authority.
Legal Advice Ignited Political Fury
The conflict centred on a motion from the Labour opposition group regarding grit bins. In response, the ruling Conservative group proposed an alternative amendment. Despite clear warnings from the council's monitoring officer, Aftab Razzaq, who serves as director of governance and corporate services, Mayor Pete Lee permitted the amendment to be debated and voted upon.
Mr Razzaq had advised councillors that, according to standing orders, an amendment should be relevant to the original motion and should only aim to remove or add words, not to negate the entire motion. He stated emphatically, "The proposed amendment is effectively to remove all of the words. It is my advice that this isn't within the scope of the procedure rules and certainly isn't within the spirit of the interpretation I have just outlined." He clarified that while his advice was not to allow the amendment, the ultimate decision rested with the mayor.
Mayor's Decision Sparks Outrage and Abstention
Mayor Pete Lee, a Conservative councillor, proceeded to allow the amendment, which was subsequently accepted in a vote, thereby defeating the original Labour motion. This action caused outrage on the opposition benches. Labour leader, Councillor Adam Aston, directly addressed the mayor, stating, "You have ignored the advice of the monitoring officer, to that end we have no choice to abstain in protest at the way this whole issue has been dealt with."
Following the ill-tempered meeting, Councillor Lee defended his position. "I think it was a wise decision, you don't always have to listen to the monitoring officer," he asserted. "He doesn't know all the facts and figures so I took that decision off my own bat, the mayor has the right to do that." When pressed for more detail on his reasoning by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Lee simply responded, "Not really, it's just the decision I took that I felt was right at the time."
Pre-Meeting Briefing and Aftermath
It was revealed that Councillor Lee had been briefed on the Conservative amendment merely an hour before the council meeting commenced and had been advised by Mr Razzaq not to allow it. Reflecting on this, Lee commented, "I get where he was coming from but that was my decision. It's just getting through it and getting it sorted, that's what I wanted to do. Sometimes we make mistakes but I don't think I have tonight. Labour will say it was a political decision but they would – that's their opinion."
The fallout from the meeting has prompted further action. Councillor Pete Lowe, leader of The Black Country Party, has written to the mayor seeking clarification on why the amendment was permitted and demanding training for those officiating at meetings. Lowe expressed his dismay, stating, "I hope that very few people watched the events as it was, in my view, an embarrassing spectacle. Most observers will have noted that at differing points the meeting was chaired by yourself, the chief executive and the monitoring officer."
Mayor Lee also appeared critical of the conduct displayed during the meeting, remarking, "It was a bit of a pantomime, it doesn't do us any favours." This incident underscores the ongoing tensions and procedural disputes within Dudley Council, raising questions about governance and the interpretation of council rules during contentious debates.
