It was typically gracious of Councillor Steve Count, leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, to acknowledge that the reintroduction of the committee system of governance at Shire Hall a year ago, which the Tory group had initially voted against, has in fact transformed the council’s decision making process for the better.
When he stood before the council for the first time last year, Cllr Count was facing government demands for £100 million of savings across Cambridgeshire, and he therefore urged members to work together for the good of all.
They could not have done so under the previous autocratic one-party cabinet system, in which all but a handful of members were left permanently out of the loop.
Nowadays however, councillors of every political persuasion are working collaboratively on the various committees: debating, scrutinising and challenging the actions and proposals of would-be profligate council officers.
With the government now requiring a further £119 million of savings, the vigilance and cooperation of councillors is more vital than ever.
Cllr Count is to be congratulated for his sound and even-handed leadership during this critical period.
CLLR GORDON GILLICK
UKIP councillor for Waldersey Division
Via e-mail
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