Tuesday 3 October 2006

Conservative Group Meeting 2 Oct 06

Welcome behind the closed doors of the Conservative Group Meeting. We always have this meeting the Monday before full Council to discuss the topics to be agreed or debated. It is also a chance for the Leader (far right above) to discuss issues with all Conservative Councillors in an informal setting. It is chaired by Cllr Masterson (2nd right) who is chairman of the Group and a post that cannot be held by a member of the Cabinet.

In this meeting we can have an open and frank discussion about any Council or political issue - all in total confidence. So it is an important meeting for Cabinet members and backbenchers like myself. Cabinet members can test ideas, and backbenchers can express concerns and opposition to a variety of issues.

So in this meeting I can and do raise issues that concern you, that I think the whole Group should hear rather than just a discussion with another councillor. So in this particular meeting I raised amongst other issues alternate week bin collection ... again!!

I am bound to keep confidence about Group discussions so I will not report what was said. Which is right. We need times when we can talk frankly and without the constraint of public scrutiny - and all the political Groups enjoy this.

Suffice to say, that the Council leaders are very aware of the strong feeling over this issue.

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