Proper Politics Breaks Out!

Tonight's first ordinary Full Council meeting (the AGM doesn't really count) was a blast! A well-packed public gallery, who nearly provoked Chair Barrie into chucking them out for rowdiness. A motion (to go around the where-to-put-the-new-school loop over again) from the LibDems, which (quite predictably) all the smaller parties voted for ...and so Labour lost (shock! horror!). Ron (Labour chief whip) was a little cross about two particular members who hadn't showed up - who (I think) might have been able to get us a score-draw.

Two more motions: To attempt a common-sense resolution for the 'Big Yellow Box site' in Grove Park (Tories); and to Recycle More (the Greens). Both of the 'this council believes Satan is a bad influence on our youth' variety (after some skilled amendment), so everyone voted for them, in a jolly mood. 60 (yes, sixty) written members questions to Mayor and Cabinet, with a lot of them wanting their chance to put a supplementary (== make a point) helped the whole proceedings to stretch into well after 10pm.

This all mostly served to prove that Council, whatever the party balance, can only do it's worst and ask the Mayor very politely if he'd look into something. Good for stable progress perhaps, but it can't have looked incredibly democratic to some of the spectators. At this rate we'll have to start making up interesting council motions in Labour Group again!