AN extraordinary meeting of Mid Devon District Council (MDDC) took place on March 17 to consider a recommendation from a working group on how the council is run.

This enquiry resulted from considerable public concern prior to the council elections in May 2019 about the absolute power of the six cabinet members and their leader.

The chair of The Campaign for Local Democracy in Mid Devon spoke during Public Question Time at the meeting.

Alderman David Nation (Crediton) said: "For almost two years this Council has dragged its feet, carrying out a review of its system of governance in almost complete secrecy.

"Only once have the public had an opportunity to comment – six people sent in written submissions and five attended a Zoom session with two members of the Working Group, and others, but with several other councillors having been told they could not take part.

"Due to my having made Freedom Of Information requests to see the minutes of the eight working group meetings which took place in secret, I have the minutes now but they have still not been put in the public domain.

"The minutes of the last working group meeting show how the group was still so confused that members couldn’t make up their minds whether to recommend the status quo or replace several committees with a second Scrutiny committee."

Ald. Nation told the "Courier" afterwards: "Neither option addresses the concerns of the public about the ruthless power of the leader which he has used only recently to sack several Lib Dem and Green cabinet members who didn’t agree with him and replace them with Conservatives."

The council decided by 18 votes to 12 to maintain the status quo.

Ald. Nation said: "They have totally ignored the unease felt by the public and some councillors and we are now discussing when the time will be right for us to safely petition for a Referendum to switch to a committee structure. Clearly, that will depend on Covid-19 regulations as much as anything."

Cllr Ashley Wilce (Independent, Cullompton North) said: "The Cabinet and Conservative members of the Council have made it clear that they have no interest in the concerns of anyone outside their own group.

"The Leader has already asked us to withdraw our request for further discussions involving MDDC residents, citing the events at the last meeting.

"It is clear to me that only a referendum will achieve the required change to take power out of the hands of Tiverton-centric elite currently in power."