Agenda item

To consider a motion on notice submitted by Councillors Jean Parr and Joanne Ainscough.

Councillor Parr and Councillor Ainscough had submitted the following motion having given the required notice to the Chief Executive in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 15:-

 

“This Council notes:

 

·       Councillors represent their community and it is important that they reflect the diversity within their communities, particularly those with protected characteristics (age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation).

 

·       The work of the Cooperative Party in developing a Declaration for councils aimed at increasing diversity in local government.

This Council believes:

 

·       Diversity in representation makes for good decision making.

This Council resolves:

 

·       To adopt The Co-operative Party’s Diverse Councils Declaration (below) to increase diversity in our local government:

 

The Co-operative Party’s Diverse Councils Declaration

This Council commits to being a Diverse Council. We agree to:

1.    Provide a clear public commitment to improving diversity in democracy.

2.    Demonstrate an open and welcoming culture to all, promoting the highest standards of behaviour and conduct.

3.    Set out a local Diverse Council Action Plan ahead of the next local elections. Including:

• Appoint Diversity Ambassadors for each political group on the council to work with each other and local party associations to encourage recruitment of candidates from under-represented groups.
• Encourage and enable people from under-represented groups to stand for office through the provision of activities such as mentoring and shadowing programmes and information and learning events for people interested in standing as official candidates.
• Proactive engagement and involvement with local community groups and partner organisations supporting and representing under-represented groups
• Ensure that all members and candidates complete a candidates’ and councillors’ survey distributed at election time.
• Set ambitious targets for candidates from under-represented groups at the next local elections

4.       Work towards the standards for member support and development as set out in the LGA Councillor Development Charter and/or Charter Plus.

5.         Demonstrate a commitment to a duty of care for councillors by:

·       providing access to counselling services for all councillors having regard for the safety and wellbeing of councillors whenever they are performing their role as councillors.

·       taking a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and harassment of members including through social networks.

6.       Provide flexibility in council business by:

·       regularly reviewing and staggering meeting times

·       encouraging and supporting remote attendance at meetings

·       agreeing recess periods to support councillors with caring or work commitments.

7.       Ensure that all members take up the allowances and salaries to which they are entitled, particularly any reimbursement for costs of care, so that all members receive fair remuneration for their work and that the role of member is not limited to those who can afford it.

8.       Ensure that the council adopts a parental leave policy setting out members’ entitlement to maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption leave and relevant allowances.

9.       Ensure that councillors from under-represented groups are represented whenever possible in high profile, high influence roles.”

An officer briefing note had been drafted to accompany the motion. The note made clear that the motion was wide ranging and would have resourcing implications. Those would need to be quantified fully and brought back to Council. To do this, Officers recommended referral to Council Business Committee to allow that Committee, supported by officers, to determine the resource implications and report the findings back to Council.

 

In view of the officer briefing note, Councillor Parr asked to make an alteration to the motion she had submitted. She asked to add a bullet point to ‘this council resolves’ to read “That Cooperative Councillors will liaise with the Chief Officer, People and Policy, to bring forward more in-depth proposals for action to Council Business Committee in October.”

 

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 17.7 the Mayor took a vote on whether or not to permit the alteration to the motion. A clear majority of Councillors voted in favour of allowing the alteration. 

 

Councillor Parr then proposed the altered motion, seconded by Councillor Ainscough, and responded to many questions from other Councillors.

 

After all the questions had been dealt with, an amendment to the motion from the Green group was moved. The amendment, which had been submitted before the start of the meeting, was put forward by Councillor Dowding, seconded by Councillor Abi Mills. It was to replace all the wording of the substantive motion with the following text:.

 

“This Council notes:

 

•        Councillors represent their community and it is important that they reflect the diversity within their communities, particularly those with protected characteristics (age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation).

 

•        The work of the Cooperative Party in developing a Declaration for councils aimed at increasing diversity in local government.

 

This Council believes:

 

• Diversity in representation makes for good decision making.

 

·       Political groups on the council should make every effort to ensure that their elected members represent the communities they serve

 

This Council resolves:

 

·         To demonstrate an open and welcoming culture to all, by promoting the highest standards of behaviour and conduct.

·         To appoint a Diversity Champion to be elected by Full Council in September.

(The Diversity Champion - like other champions roles in the Council - will among other things work to highlight and promote good practice that has been adopted in other councils”                                                                                   

 

With the agreement of the meeting and her seconder, Councillor Parr accepted this as a friendly amendment. The wording of the Green amendment above then became the substantive motion.

 

There was a lengthy discussion on the motion. At the conclusion of the debate a vote was taken. The motion was clearly carried.

 

Resolved:-

 

This Council notes:

 

•        Councillors represent their community and it is important that they reflect the diversity within their communities, particularly those with protected characteristics (age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation).

 

•        The work of the Cooperative Party in developing a Declaration for councils aimed at increasing diversity in local government.

 

This Council believes:

 

• Diversity in representation makes for good decision making.

 

·       Political groups on the council should make every effort to ensure that their elected members represent the communities they serve

 

This Council resolves:

 

·         To demonstrate an open and welcoming culture to all, by promoting the highest standards of behaviour and conduct.

·         To appoint a Diversity Champion to be elected by Full Council in September.  (The Diversity Champion - like other champions roles in the Council - will among other things work to highlight and promote good practice that has been adopted in other councils.)