tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post116185212755943796..comments2023-12-11T08:49:46.305+00:00Comments on Dizzy Thinks: Local dictatorships are not the solution to local democracy?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-1254069721715590512006-10-29T13:38:00.000+00:002006-10-29T13:38:00.000+00:00I've been lucky enough not to have to go to any Le...I've been lucky enough not to have to go to any Lewisham council meetings since May this year, but I think you've misunderstood the <a href="">constitutional arrangements</a> in the borough.<br /><br />In Council the Mayor has a single vote as do all the councillors. Steve does not have the casting vote, that is (Conservative) Councillor Barrie Anderson's role as Chair of Council.<br /><br />Steve's power is in the Mayor and Cabinet committees where as Mayor he makes decisions (which must be in line with the policy framework set out by the full council).<br /><br />What is true is that as long as he the decisions Steve takes are in line with the policy of the council the council can't overturn individual decisions they believe are misguided.<br /><br />But that's hardly an "effective dictatorship".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-1161948018669786772006-10-27T12:20:00.000+01:002006-10-27T12:20:00.000+01:00peteYou obviously don't live in London. Livingsto...pete<BR/><BR/>You obviously don't live in London. Livingstone is going to be mayor for as long as he wants - the coalition of Muslims and non-council tax payers (and an absence of any serious politicians prepared to oppose him) will see to that. (Unwelcome though my agreement might be) I'm with DT on this one: democracy is not counting votes once every so often and handing over all power to the person who receives most of them to do whatever he wants: the whole point of a democracy is that the winner of an election takes some notice of the views of those who voted against him.<BR/><BR/>Coming back to Livingstone: in February next year the congestion charge zone will be extended westward to cover largely residential areas which, oh dear, have Conservative councils. There was a "consultation" (which revealed that the vast majority of the residents did not want the extension). Livingstone ignored the results of the consultation saying that [my paraphrasing] "it was a consultation not a referendum". In my experience congestion is far worse to the east of London than the west but we wouldn't want to upset our supporters would we?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-1161870583633352062006-10-26T14:49:00.000+01:002006-10-26T14:49:00.000+01:00There can be problems with the Mayoral system but ...There can be problems with the Mayoral system but maybe the answer is to create the necessary checks to control the elected executives power.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com