Category Archives: Democratic deficit

Lack of transparency, honesty, trust etc.

#Manchester City Council scrutiny committee agendas June 2014

Posted on June 5, 2014 by manchesterclimatemonthly

Manchester City Council has 96 councillors. The Labour Party has – via first past the post elections – 95 of those seats. There’s a 9 member “Executive” that makes the decisions. The other councillors are supposed to keep tabs on … Continue reading →

Posted in Democratic deficit, Manchester City Council | Leave a comment

Open Letter to the new Councillors of #Manchester City Council

Posted on June 2, 2014 by manchesterclimatemonthly

Dear new Councillors, congratulations on becoming the latest councillors to represent and serve the people of Manchester. You become councillors at a moment of great danger for the city. I don’t mean the risk of further austerity after the next … Continue reading →

Posted in #mcrclimateplan, Climate Change Action Plan, Democratic deficit, Manchester City Council | 4 Comments

The stories we need to tell ourselves: Greens at best very distant second in #Manchester elections.

Posted on May 24, 2014 by manchesterclimatemonthly

There are two ways to have political power. One is to win enough elections to get enough politicians in office so they can form a government. And if they are trying to govern on a radical and transformative platform, they … Continue reading →

Posted in Democratic deficit, Unsolicited advice | Tagged | 9 Comments

#Manchester #climate Steering Group will not release its first report before AGM: A businessman dissents.

Posted on May 21, 2014 by manchesterclimatemonthly

The Manchester “Stakeholder Steering Group” on climate change has refused to release its first annual report, ahead of its Inaugural General Meeting. Martyn Cowsill, a renewable energy businessman, has been rebuffed in his request to see the report, which will … Continue reading →

Posted in Democratic deficit, Steering Group | Leave a comment

Open Letter to Kevin Peel about #Manchester City Council and how to scrutinise it @kevpeel

Posted on May 15, 2014 by manchesterclimatemonthly

Dear Kevin, it’s unfortunate that you ignored the content of the 7 proposed ways Manchester City Council could improve its democratic scrutiny, and instead focussed on presentation issues(1). I have no way of knowing if you did this as a … Continue reading →

Posted in Democratic deficit, Manchester City Council | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Manchester #Climate “Steering Group” cancels conference, holds first AGM. Memory-holes “low carbon culture”

Posted on May 14, 2014 by manchesterclimatemonthly

So, after 5 years, the Manchester Certain Future “steering group” (see MCFly passim ad nauseam) a) holds its first AGM, with less than a month’s notice b) sends the radical goal of creating a “low carbon culture” down the memory … Continue reading →

Posted in Democratic deficit, Steering Group | 2 Comments

32 Labour candidates… 2 have filled in Friends of the Earth’s survey of #Manchester council candidates

Posted on May 14, 2014 by manchesterclimatemonthly

Manchester Friends of the Earth has, again, performed a useful public service. They’ve set up an online survey for candidates in the local elections, happening on Thursday May 22nd.  The questions revolve around the candidates’ positions on Energy and Climate, … Continue reading →

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7 things #Manchester City Council will not do to improve scrutiny of its Executive and officers

Posted on May 12, 2014 by manchesterclimatemonthly

Manchester City Council has 96 councillors. At the moment Labour has 86 councillors out of that number. After the May 22nd elections, it will be 95 and a half. One Party State, much? So, the “scrutiny” process – whereby councillors … Continue reading →

Posted in Democratic deficit, Manchester City Council | 9 Comments

#Manchester #climate steering group now bewilderingly incompetent … on Twitter

Posted on April 13, 2014 by manchesterclimatemonthly

The high-profile and high-impact Steering Group for the Manchester Climate Change Action Plan has set up a Twitter account on January 17th. They managed a “hello look at us” tweet, a retweet and one twet on January 23rd. Since then, … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change Action Plan, Democratic deficit, Steering Group | Leave a comment

#Salford Cabinet refuses to discuss #fracking despite 3,000-strong petition

Posted on April 8, 2014 by manchesterclimatemonthly

Local residents opposed to drilling on Barton Moss gathered at Swinton Civic Centre as Salford Council cabinet members were presented with a 3000+ strong petition against the controversial practice of fracking. Ali Abbas, the originator of the petition presented a … Continue reading →

Posted in Democratic deficit, Energy, Fracking, press release journalism | 4 Comments