THE NEW leader of the Labour group on Worcestershire County Council has called for more transparency at County Hall after a damning report into the council’s finances was kept under wraps.
Coun Robin Lunn, who represents Redditch North on the county council, has been elected leader after former leader Coun Peter McDonald stepped down from the role.
The former deputy leader of the party immediately pledged to campaign for a more open council, particularly after a finance report, projecting a £60million hole in county finances by 2020/21, was kept secret and wasn’t shared with all council members.
Only a Freedom of Information Request by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism brought the matter to light, as reported by the Observer last month.
But his bid to reveal the full contents of the report was thwarted on Thursday as council chiefs gave the thumbs down to his request and a separate move by Lib Dem Coun Liz Tucker.
“It’s quite ridiculous that we had to find out in the way we did,” said Coun Lunn
“If this administration doesn’t agree to make all such information available to councillors then the public will look at us and think they’re trying to keep something secret.”
In response, council leader Coun Simon Geraghty said all of the information had been made available in budget briefings and consultations.
Other issues on Coun Lunn’s agenda are the ongoing concerns over the robustness and safety of adult and children’s social services.
“As the opposition it is important that we highlight areas of concerns and come up with constructive ways to improve the council and do things better.
“We have plenty of scope to so with this authority which has major challenges and I’m not at all convinced that we are on the right road.
“The funding for local government is 49 per cent lower in 2018 than it was in 2010, and inevitably that has taken a major toll on services.
“This will only get worse and we need to fight constantly to improve the quality of people’s lives and assist those who most need assistance. The very model of what civic leadership should be about.
“I relish this challenge,” he added.
