Reform can take control of Doncaster Council and show it is serious about local politics: Yorkshire Post Letters

According to the “Strengthening the standards and conduct framework for local authorities in England” document, “the government is determined to fix the foundations of local government so councils can sustainably provide decent public services and shape local places, and so elected representatives can be fully accountable to the public they serve”.

Unfortunately it’s also admitted that “there is no provision in current legislation for a sanction to suspend a councillor found to have breached the code of conduct.” The same lack of provision applies to MPs and metro mayors.

And there in a few sentences are the reasons we are no longer a democracy, as a functioning democracy requires accountability and consequences.

Politicians are free to lie to us, ignore us and as South Yorkshire politicians show us daily, treat us with utter contempt.

But, as Sheffield knows, we are not entirely powerless. The Localism Act 2011 allows for three types of governance - committee, elected mayor, and leader and cabinet.

The election of Labour’s Ros Jones in Doncaster where the majority are now 37 Reform councillors while just 12 are Labour does highlight the lack of democracy inherent in these choices.

But the Reform group do have a choice. Under the provisions of the Act if Doncaster Council receives a petition signed by at least five per cent of the electorate requesting a change of governance system then it must be put to a referendum unless the council passes a resolution to make the change voluntarily.

As it is more than ten years since the last governance referendum in Doncaster they are legally able to hold another one.

So, a Labour Party which is increasing child and pensioner poverty, which refuses to restore a train concession which millions elsewhere enjoy, whose code of conduct allows the public to be lied to and held in contempt, in certain circumstances can be removed from office when the public elects a clear majority of non-Labour councillors. Those circumstances are now here.

As Labour has consistently refused to support their constituents on housing, transport, the NHS and so much more, then it’s time the public had better political choices.

If Reform are serious about local politics then they need to take full control of Doncaster Council.

In future the role of Independents needs to be supported rather than the failed three-party model of what many see as the “Con/Liebour/FibDem” unaccountable autocratic disorder.

Jim Buckley, Ackton.

You commented on the obstinancy of North Yorkshire Council regarding school transport (The Yorkshire Post, May 22). This is an illustration of what is wrong with party politics. Debate is based on proposals, which are then debated. Party politics has turned this into a farce, in that if the proposals are modified (which is the purpose of debate) then this is said to be a weakness and a U turn, so no modifications are allowed through the whip system.

Party politics thus prevents sensible and responsible government. The answer is to remove party politics from government, which we can do through our votes.