A GROUP from The Campaign for Local Democracy in Mid Devon attended the meeting of Mid Devon District Council on January 8, several of them asking questions of the Council’s leadership.

They urged councillors to agree a recommendation of the Council’s Cabinet that a Working Group be formed to carry out a comprehensive review of the Council’s governance arrangements.

The Working Group would consist of 12 councillors. The Campaign Group is arguing that the present system is undemocratic as it allows a small number of councillors in Cabinet to make most of the major decisions and over-ride the clear wishes of the majority of the Council.

Mrs Judy Tucker of Crediton said she was delighted with the recommendation and stressed that it is not the Group’s objective to undermine the efficiency of the Council.

Tiverton Town Councillor Steve Bush asked that the politically balanced working group might include a representative of the Labour Party.

Alderman David Nation said that democracy meant different things to different people but he thought that most people would say that a system where a small number of councillors in the cabinet could over-rule the wishes of a clear majority of the Council is not democracy.

Several councillors, including some Cabinet members, said that it was healthy to take stock to ensure the system is working as well as it could and that democracy was fluid and should evolve.

The Working Group, said new Green councillor Elizabeth Wainwright, should be “a no brainer”.

When a recorded vote was taken the recommendation was carried by 21 votes to 16, with all Conservatives except one voting against. The Liberal Democrat councillors and most Independents voted for it.