Council Leader tries to stifle debate

Councillor Irene Davidson

The new Leader of Rochdale Council, Lib Dem Councillor Irene Davidson has got off to an inauspicious start with a crass attempt to prevent debate on a controversial and highly charged matter, that of Adult Care provision and the potential closing of four intermediate care homes in the Borough.

Chairing the meeting of the Council Cabinet Councillor Davidson tried to railroad the proposal through by immediately moving that a recommendation to close the homes be accepted without any debate.

Sat in the public seats it took a determined effort by Middleton Councillor Terry Linden to force Councillor Davidson to back down and accept that the Cabinet should listen to objections.

Councillor Linden was forced to shout about the "affront to democracy" of Councillor Davidson’s initial refusal to listen to objections, and robustly persist as Councillor Davidson at first insisted it was too late as the proposal had been passed, only when reminded by Councillor Linden that she had, prior to the meeting, agreed he could speak did Councillor Davidson back down.

Full report on the arguments made for and against to follow...