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Councillor's husband ejected by police

Date published: 10 March 2010

Council Cabinet member and Heywood Lib Dem Councillor Doreen Brophy-Lee could be forgiven for wondering who needs enemies with friends like her husband! Mr Brophy-Lee had to be escorted out of the recent Heywood Township meeting by the police after refusing to go quietly having been asked to leave by the Township chairman for repeatedly launching verbal tirades against members of the public who had the temerity to criticise his wife.

To be fair to Councillor Brophy-Lee she was very embarrassed and made a point of telling the meeting, after her husband had been ejected, that she did not need anyone to fight her battles.

Councillor Brophy-Lee was coming in for severe criticism in the open forum from residents of Springfield Court sheltered housing who had been told they are to lose their dedicated warden, to be replaced by a trainee.

The decision had been taken by a senior council official under what is known as 'delegated powers', these powers give council officers the right to take decisions without referring them to the cabinet, though they do discuss the decision with the relevant portfolio holder.

Given the strength of feeling clearly evident at the meeting, in an unusual turn of events, a member of the Council's Executive Leadership Team present agreed to rescind the decision taken and to refer the matter to the council cabinet where councillors will now make the decision.

Comments

Nobody will be re-electing the Lib Dems in Heywood North after the fiasco caused by this council in recent months. 4% tax increase in a borough with very high levels of poverty and low household incomes was the last straw.

Nobody will be re-electing the Lib Dems anywhere that have already been subjected to their horrendous and utter incompetent council rule.

One can not but feel sorry for this councillor, however, it is a Council of Despair, bodge it and close it. Indeeed they are so incompetent that they have to be given mentors, this is code for someone with them constantly to prevent further screw ups and show them how to do their jobs properly. It'd be hilarious were it not so pathetic.
One question then, who votes for these mentors and what gives them the right to make decisions affecting out town?
Last time I checked we lived in a democracy.

"Councillors ejected by voters".
That would be a better result for Rochdale.
Roll on the Local Elections it time these clowns went, they are dragging local democracy into the gutter and making our wonderful political heritage and Town Hall a laughing stock in the eyes of our youngsters.
And, are the public no longer allowed to even criticise RMBC councillors in public any more? I thought we had something called democratic accountability; her husband should be charged with undermining democracy.

If a decision has been taken under delegated powers, surely
one member of the Council cannot agree to revoke the decision already taken. Delegation to officers is as though the full council had spoken. If the Council disagree with a delegated decision, they must remove the delegated powers. However, the decision taken should stand.

The question being did the portfolio holder know of this delegated decision. It seems this is a downgrade of service and a decision made to save money. Without a doubt it should have gone to cabinet.
MP's Gravy Train, I personally could not beleive the arrogance of Cllr Couzens in his defence of the council tax hike.

We understand that if something is delegated it means power to do something without the need to have the decision ratified by elected members. In some cases it may have to be discussed with the portfolio holder. We can understand why some items are delegated to Officers. Yet a decision about removing one employee and replacing them with another, should at least be discussed by the portfolio holder his/her deputy, one member from each of the opposition parties, plus ward Councillors.