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0 votes
My second question of the evening

Myself and vice chair undertook some training.  We were informed that at meetings now you do no need to have a 'proposer and seconder' to start a vote.   Apparently, you can go straight to vote

Any views on this please ?

Thanks

Ann
by (1.5k points)

1 Answer

0 votes
The problem here is that the model standing orders still contain the formal route of proposer and seconder. I tend not to follow this, but am aware that the council is operating outside its standing orders in doing so.
by (52.9k points)
I always believed that a council has a statutory duty to work within its standing orders unless it resolves to suspend them and that the reason for the suspension needs to be incorporated within the minutes.  I'd be concerned that any decision made without that would be wide open to challenge further down the line.
I assume the question is regarding Parish Council meetings and NOT Parish Meetings. Minuting proposer and seconder greatly adds to openness and transparency which is a requirement of councillors. It shows the community who is actually putting forward matters for voting
The model standing orders are based upon Parliamentary procedures, which are essential when dealing with matters such as restructuring our armed forces or vanity projects such as high speed rail lines to destroy vast swathes of our beautiful countryside. Is the same degree of rigour required to determine the location of a dog poo bin?

If we want to embrace the ordinary people with a passion for their community, to bring them within the fold and allow them to play their part in our processes, is it incumbent upon us to make compromises and present ourselves in an open and unthreatening way? I know a number of Town and District Councillors who have never spoken at a meeting, for fear of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time in the wrong way. The Clerk of my local Town Council prepares a full script for the Mayor when he chairs meetings to ensure that he follows the correct procedure.

I'm not advocating that anybody should operate outside adopted procedures, but in small rural parish councils we don't have captains of industry, graduates, high-fliers. On the rare occasions we address important issues, greater formality is required, but for the most part, we record the consensus of the meeting, without a formal resolution, proposer and seconder.
Just had email back from our local council  There is no legal requirement.

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