Council ‘facing years of paralysis’

Just over a year ago the Government stepped in to take control of Doncaster Council after a major inquiry ruled that long-standing political conflict was being given priority over improvements to services.

The report ruled that English Democrat Mayor Peter Davies, the council Cabinet, senior officers and some councillors were not capable of making improvements themselves because of “dysfunctional” politics.

Now the Labour Party, which claimed another seven seats at the local elections and holds more than two thirds of seats in the council chamber, has said it will not take up any posts in Mayor Davies’ cabinet and will instead “hold the administration to account”. Mayor Davies term of office runs until 2013.

Labour leader Sandra Holland described the move as “constructive”, claiming her party would work towards “a better Doncaster” by not sharing power with some “very right-wing” colleagues.

She said she would remain a full and active member of the recovery board, formed to work with the Government.

Coun Holland said: “Labour cannot join a Cabinet which would leave us having to take responsibility for decisions taken by a group of right-wing, and very right-wing politicians with whom we completely disagree.

“Instead, Labour will provide a strong opposition to Peter Davies and his administration.

“We will be setting up a shadow Cabinet to ensure Labour’s voice is heard across the range of decisions taken by the council, so the voices of all the people who voted for us are heard.

“The Labour group is committed to working constructively in the process to improve Doncaster Council and will continue to play an active role in helping the scrutiny committee.

“In addition to this, Labour councillors will work hard in their communities, listening to the electorate to make sure their concerns are being heard by the mayor and his Cabinet.”

In the local elections Labour strengthened its power base in the Mansion House by taking seven seats from the Alliance of Independent Members, the Community Group and the Liberal Democrats to increase its number of councillors to 43.

Despite their dominance in the chamber it is elected Mayor Davies who runs the council.

He is currently forming a new Cabinet after losing two key members – the member for children’s services Andrea Milner, who did not stand for re-election and saw her Rossington seat go to Labour, and member for housing Patrick Wilson, who lost his Town Moor seat to another Labour candidate.

The English Democrats, whose slogan is “Putting England First” failed to win any seats, despite fielding candidates in 12 of Doncaster’s 21 wards.

An Audit Commission report on the council was ordered after a series of crises at the local authority, including the shocking case of two brothers who were in the council’s care when they tortured two young boys in the village of Edlington last year.

The report, published in April last year, found that the “failing” council would not improve without external help due to a number of problems. It said that Doncaster had a “troubled history of poor governance”, while the shadow of a corruption scandal that saw 21 councillors convicted of fraud in 2001, in an affair known as “Donnygate”, still hung over the area.

People voted to adopt the elected mayoral system in a referendum in the same year and the current Mayor was elected in June 2009.