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YOUTH SERVICE PETITION DEBATE - DERBYSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING 18 APRIL
A CHAOTIC SHAMBLES AMID DISGRACEFUL BEHAVIOUR AS DERBYSHIRE'S TORIES DISMISS THE 16215 SIGNATORIES RESEMBLED A SCENE FROM MONTY PYTHON
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As 16 year old Greg Roberts, Chair of the Eckington Youth Forum prepared to present the petition Labour Group Leader Anne Western moved a point of order on the basis that the petition wording on the agenda order papers was incomplete. The final crucial sentence 'We call on Derbyshire County Council to retain the current directly provided universal youth service' had been omitted. As the Tories prepared to say the petition did not call for any action and therefore no vote could be taken they were thrown into disarray. Cock-up or conspiracy? |
Cllr Western continued by stating that the Labour Group were going to move, in accordance with the Council's constitution, that the call of the petition be accepted, or failing that, again in accordance with the Council's constitution, move that the issues raised in the petition be considered by the People Scrutiny Committee. At this point the Council's Director of Legal Services intervened ruling that the Council's constitution, for which he is responsible, did not conform with legislation introduced a couple of years ago, and to comply with that legislation no vote on the matter could be taken. This effectively left the Council with no constitution in relation to the receipt of a petition signed by over 16000 local people!! Unsurprisingly the Tory Chair George Wharmby accepted the Director of Legal Services advice and ruled that although 16215 people had signed the petition there would be no conclusion from Derbyshire County Council. Cock-up or conspiracy? Watch the video
As you can imagine there was chaos in the Council Chamber amid several points of order demanding to know what constitution the Council was working to? All of this was set against a background of a packed public gallery who had come to see a debate on the Future of the Derbyshire Youth Service and to see the Tory's 'Open Democracy' in action. However several members of the public filmed the shambolic events with postings going on to You Tube whilst the meeting was in progress and several 'tweeters' sending out messages of the ensuing chaos.
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Before the meeting a mass rally on the County Hall terrace was addressed by Andy Freeman, Unison, Rob Johnston, Regional Secretary Midlands TUC, Colin Hampton, DUWC, Cllr Anne Western, Cllr Alan Charles and Gordon Savage, recently retired Head of DCC Youth Service. Gordon is pictured left and has really put Tory Cabinet Member Barry Lewis under tremendous pressure with his exceptional knowledge of the County Youth Service.
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Anne Western said 'Interesting to see all the media coverage of the council meeting. The story has been featured on BBC East Midlands Today, Radio Derby, Radio Sheffield, Derby Telegraph, Derbyshire Times, Matlock Mercury, Burton Mail and probably more.
All this keeps the pressure well and truly on the Derbyshire Tories and Cllr Barry Lewis in particular. Even his cabinet colleagues are not convinced that his youth service plans are the right thing to do. After the disgraceful behaviour of the Tories, trying to ignore the biggest petition DCC has ever received, we now have a plan shaping up for what we can do to get the petition back on the table.
More on this soon.
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It's important we don't lose heart. We didn't expect to win any votes at the meeting. They are the majority party and they can outvote us. But what we did do, with great success, was to highlight what they are doing, to embarrass them and to pressure them into realising that there will be a day of reckoning unless they change their plans. And that day will be 2nd May 2013
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Be careful what you say in the gents!
During the debate on the second motion tabled by Anne Western, Labour's Deputy Leader Alan Charles disclosed a conversation that had been relayed to him that was overheard in the gents toilet; one of the Tory Cabinet Members, not realising somebody was within earshot, told a Tory colleague that he doubted that Barry could carry this off and that he had doubts about the merits of Lewis' proposals. So who was the mystery Cabinet Member?
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Who was the Tories disloyal Cabinet Member? Answers to DerbyshireLabour!!
        
Some clues; Tory Leader Andrew Lewer quickly denied being the guilty party as did Deputy Leader Simon Spencer. We know Barry Lewis hasn't got a clue what he is doing but the responsible person was described as having grey hair, so he's ruled out. Carol Hart, in the gents? Not sure. Charles Jones, unlikey because he hasn't got any hair. No more clues, we will leave it up to you now!
Media coverage
You can access the vast media coverage of the meeting from these links; Derbyshire Times; second Derbyshire Times; Derby Telegraph pictures; Derby Telegraph report and following twitter from Radio Derby's Chris Doidge and Rob Johnston.
The Derby Telegraph did a follow up page 1 & 2 report on an interview with Gordon Savage.
This is the interview on Radio Derby with Greg Roberts and Gordon Savage the morning after the meeting and some footage on You Tube of the rally on the Terrace.
Another brilliant video put together by journalist Kate Belgrave on the 'False Economy' website.
Also have a look at the deluded tweets from Barry Lewis who reckoned he 'made mincemeat of Labour'!!
This link takes you to Eckington Parish TV, worth watching and includes Barry Lewis dismissing the 16000 people who signed the petition.
If you have any more media links please send them to us
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