Paul Furlong, Chair of the South Hams Branch Labour Party, has written an open letter to the South Hams Gazette raising serious concerns about the attempted shutting down of local democracy by the Council’s Conservative leadership.

Dear Editor,

 

South Hams District Council has decided to suspend full council meetings for the rest of the year and to use Emergency Legislation procedures. This means that almost all Council decisions will now be taken by the Deputy Chief Executive, a paid official, with ratification by the six-member Council Executive, comprising five Conservatives and one Liberal Democrat.

 

As Chair of the South Hams Branch of the South West Devon Constituency Labour Party, I am writing to you to express our grave concern and the opposition of the local Labour Party to this drastic step, on two main grounds…