Lib Dems welcome re-think for undemocratic plans to change County Council Constitution

The Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council have welcomed the decision made yesterday by the Conservative administration at County Hall to re-think undemocratic proposals to change the council's constitution.

Cllr Hazel Watson, the Leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition on Surrey County Council said: "The ruling Conservative administration at County Hall have been attempting to force through undemocratic changes to the County Council's constitution to cap the number of motions to full Council to a maximum of 3, to prevent altogether any motions to the Budget meeting or the Annual meeting of the Council. They have also sought to reduce the time allowed for speeches at Council meetings. The plans also included a proposal to reduce the number of signatures required on a petition to trigger a debate at full council from a ridiculously high number of 20,000 to a still excessively high number of 10,000 signatures."

Following a dramatic suspension to the Council meeting, the Leader of the Council agreed to a re-think and to refer these controversial and undemocratic proposals back to the Constitution Review Group.

Cllr Watson said: "I am delighted by yesterday's decision. I have argued strongly against these undemocratic proposals. Motions to Council give an opportunity for issues of importance to Surrey residents to be debated by full Council. It also enables Opposition councillors to hold the ruling Conservative administration to account. Restricting debate is undemocratic and is a move in the wrong direction. Also the proposal to reduce the number of signatures from 20,000 to 10,000 did not go far enough in my view and should be reduced to 3000 to give Surrey residents a realistic opportunity to present a petition to full council on an important issue."

Cllr Watson concluded:" I am delighted with yesterday's decision to have a re-think on these proposals. I will continue to press for these undemocratic changes to be dropped entirely and for the petition signature threshold to be reduced to 3000.