Issue - meetings

This reports asks the Executive to endorse the principles of political protocol agreed between the Council’s political groups after last year’s election, with a view to negotiating their continuation for the coming year.  The Executive is asked to consider a list of topics from Group Leaders which it is proposed will form the basis of initial discussions for negotiating a Policy Prospectus for the municipal year 2008/9. The report also provides Members with a look back and review of the topics from the Policy Prospectus for the current year and the progress that has been made in addressing them.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the continuation of the principles for future political management arrangements agreed by the political Groups in Many 2007 be endorsed, subject to any further negotiated amendments to be agreed subsequently by Group Leaders and notwithstanding any specific issues which no longer apply one year on.

                        (ii)        That the draft list of review reports on policy issues be endorsed for inclusion in a new Policy Prospectus for the Municipal Year 2008/09 and that these reports have priority in the use of Officer time and other resources during the coming year.

                        (iii)       That Officers be instructed to take no further action at this time on developing the constitutional amendments listed in Annex 1 to the report.

                        (iv)       That the Executive continue to receive update reports on topics from the first Policy Prospectus which, whilst already reported to the Executive, are still progressing.

                        (v)        That the timescale for agreeing a final version of the new political protocol, due to come to the Executive on 20 May, for sign-off by participating Group Leaders, be approved.

REASON:      To ensure the continuation of the protocol, which is integral to the Council’s political management.

Members considered a report which asked them to endorse the principles of the protocol agreed between the Council’s four political Groups after the elections last May, with a view to negotiating its continuation in the 2008/09 Municipal Year.

Attached to the report as Annex 1 was a list of proposed topics submitted by Group Leaders.  Members were asked to approve the draft list as the basis for consultation between the Group Leaders, with a view to establishing a second Policy Prospectus for the coming year.  It was noted that the Labour Group would not take part in these negotiations, having withdrawn from the process in February 2008.  An update on the items included in the 2007/08 Policy Prospectus was attached as Annex 2 to the report.

Members commented that the list of outstanding constitutional amendments included in Annex 1 had all been sponsored by the Labour Group and did not have any broad-based political support.  Therefore they should not be progressed at this stage.

Having noted the advice of the Shadow Executive on this item, it was

RESOLVED: (i)         That the continuation of the principles for future political management arrangements agreed by the political Groups in Many 2007 be endorsed, subject to any further negotiated amendments to be agreed subsequently by Group Leaders and notwithstanding any specific issues which no longer apply one year on.

                        (ii)        That the draft list of review reports on policy issues be endorsed for inclusion in a new Policy Prospectus for the Municipal Year 2008/09 and that these reports have priority in the use of Officer time and other resources during the coming year.¹

                        (iii)       That Officers be instructed to take no further action at this time on developing the constitutional amendments listed in Annex 1 to the report.

                        (iv)       That the Executive continue to receive update reports on topics from the first Policy Prospectus which, whilst already reported to the Executive, are still progressing.²

                        (v)        That the timescale for agreeing a final version of the new political protocol, due to come to the Executive on 20 May, for sign-off by participating Group Leaders, be approved.³

REASON:      To ensure the continuation of the protocol, which is integral to the Council’s political management.