In July, Manchester City Council tried to spin an increase in their carbon emissions as a 7% decrease.  They were only stopped in this by the eagle-eyes of Friends of the Earth and several councillors on the Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee.

They then took the unprecedented step of not sending the 2013-4 Annual Carbon ‘Reduction’ Plan on to Executive for approval. (1)

Now, after that embarrassment, they are proposing that their first three year plan (2014-17) go straight to the Executive in February 2014!   This will conveniently bypass the democratic process, bypass those awkward questions that might get asked. (2)

As political strategy it is, of course, cynical, brilliant and effective.

As part of a conversation with the people of Manchester, as an example of how government can and will need to be done, it is an unmitigated disaster.  And totally in keeping with the Council’s record since 2010.

What can you do about it?  Write to your councillors (find them here).

Write to the chair of the Environmental Sustainability Subgroup, asking if she thinks this is acceptable, and if she doesn’t what she intends to do about it.  (cllr.k.chappell@manchester.gov.uk)

Ask Friends of the Earth if they think this is acceptable and if they don’t what they intend to do about it. (office@manchesterfoe.org.uk)

Ask the new chair of the Steering Group if he thinks it is acceptable, and if not, what he thinks the Steering Group will do about it. (via mcmonthly@gmail.com – we will forward emails).

Footnotes

(1) We asked why, twice, were promised an answer, and then ignored.

(2) “3.1 The completed plan will be presented to the February 2014 meeting of the Council’s Executive Committee for approval.”  Nothing on it going to Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee, or any other committee. Nothing on consultation, nothing on the lessons learnt (or, actually, not learnt) from previous years.