Category Archives: Democratic deficit

Lack of transparency, honesty, trust etc.

Only 2 of 6 “Scrutiny” chairs of #Manchester Council are carbon literate

Posted on March 9, 2016 by manchesterclimatemonthly

Three of the six councillors who chair important* committees that are supposed to keep tabs on Manchester City Council have not completed either part of the  “Carbon Literacy” training that has been on offer since 2013.  One other has only … Continue reading →

Posted in Democratic deficit, Manchester City Council, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Two thirds of #Manchester #Climate steering group not ‘carbon literate’. Group also lacks energy bod!

Posted on March 2, 2016 by manchesterclimatemonthly

Only 4 out of the current 12 members of the Manchester “Stakeholder” Steering Group on Climate Change have completed the “carbon literacy” training that is supposed to be a core part of a ‘low carbon culture’. In addition, the crucial … Continue reading →

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

Scrutiny Week – February 2016. #Manchester – More #climate silence…

Posted on February 19, 2016 by manchesterclimatemonthly

Why doesn’t Manchester City Council put all its scrutiny committee meeting agendas on one web-page? Is it just their usual incompetence and indolence, or are they trying to make it that leeeetle bit harder for citizens to know what is … Continue reading →

Posted in Democratic deficit, Economy Scrutiny Committee, Manchester City Council | 5 Comments

Scrutiny Week – January 2016. #Manchester

Posted on January 21, 2016 by manchesterclimatemonthly

Manchester City Council has 6 “scrutiny” committees that are supposed to keep tabs on what the 9 member Executive and the officers are up to. Supposed to. One of the problems is, there is not a single non-Labour councillor. So, … Continue reading →

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

“So we bleat on…”; Q&As/P&As and the pathological meetings of academics and activists

Posted on August 17, 2015 by manchesterclimatemonthly

This article outlines the very familiar pathological pattern of meetings at which dialogue is lauded and then slaughtered, the usual attempts to fix the pathologies, and then describes why they usually fail. It closes out with what COULD be done, and … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, capacity building, Democratic deficit | Tagged | 3 Comments

Will Economy Scrutiny Committee stand up to elite contempt? #democracy #inaction in #Manchester

Posted on March 10, 2015 by manchesterclimatemonthly

Tomorrow morning at 10am an important moment in Manchester’s environmental future will be decided, by the action – or inaction – of “backbench” councillors. Members of the Economy Scrutiny Committee, meeting in the Town Hall,can decide to insist that the … Continue reading →

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Council fails to complete its low carbon #climate plans, dodges question

Posted on March 5, 2015 by manchesterclimatemonthly

Manchester City Council used to make its climate promises in July. In 2013 it promised, among many other things, there would be a “refresh of Low Carbon Plans, both top-down, at a Directorate level, and bottom-up, from an individual team … Continue reading →

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

#Manchester Scrutiny Week – On #climate – why flog a brain-dead horse?

Posted on March 5, 2015 by manchesterclimatemonthly

So below you will find a list of the agendas of the so-called “Scrutiny” committees of Manchester City Council.  These committees, made up of ‘back-bench’ councillors (all Labour, of course) are supposed to keep tabs on Manchester City Council’s executive … Continue reading →

Posted in Democratic deficit, Manchester City Council | 2 Comments

#Manchester Council gives MMU £13k for carbon literacy training – with no contract!

Posted on February 19, 2015 by manchesterclimatemonthly

Manchester City Council has given a “contract” worth £12,900 for carbon literacy training … without going to the bother of a written contract!!  Against a target of 60 councillors ‘carbon literate’ by the end of 2014, the actual number was… … Continue reading →

Posted in Democratic deficit, Manchester City Council | Tagged | 3 Comments

#Manchester Council’s feeble spin machine splutters and coughs on #climate

Posted on February 18, 2015 by manchesterclimatemonthly

Manchester City Council set a target (after being prodded by activists) of 60 of its 96 Councillors being “carbon literate” by the end of 2014. They awarded a £13k contract to Manchester Metropolitan University to deliver this training (which was … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change Action Plan, Democratic deficit, Manchester City Council | Leave a comment