South Wales Evening Post - 5 February 2009
Editorial comment
THE art of government is very different from the art of opposition, as Chris Holley has discovered on several occasions since he became leader of Swansea Council.
When he was opposition leader he strongly opposed the cabinet-style system of administration.
To quote him from 2004: "It has meant less information is getting to opposition and backbench councillors, as well as to the public. Cabinet meetings are fully orchestrated affairs in which there is no real discussion or disagreement on key policies."
The Labour-introduced system had "destroyed much of what was good about local government", he said.
Fast-forward to 2009 and it is Conservative group leader Rene Kinzett who is finding issue with the cabinet system — but for very much the same reason: backbench and opposition councillors are relegated to talking-shop committees and most of the council's decisions are thrashed out by only nine of the 72 elected members.
Councillor Holley's opinion now? The system is not perfect, but it is the one we are stuck with. Not so.
This newspaper was against the cabinet system from the start, because it does not encourage people to become fully engaged in the democratic process. Our view remains, whoever is in power.
