Windbag city councillors accused of talking too much

COUNCIL officials fed up with meetings dragging on into the evening want politicians to stop asking so many questions.

Director of corporate services, Jim Inch, has proposed restricting the questions tabled ahead of full council meetings, and called for a "brisker" approach to meetings.

But the move was today branded an "affront to democracy" by opposition politicians.

Monthly full council meetings have regularly overrun by several hours since last year's election, with the addition of a new opposition group, following the election of three Green councillors, seen as one reason for the extra workload.

The number of community groups making deputations at meetings has also soared, mainly in response to council cutbacks.

Some observers say that Lord Provost George Grubb, who chairs the meetings, lacks the ability to force councillors to stop talking.

An electronic "traffic light" system is due to be installed in August, which is designed to stop councillors speaking for more than the regulation three minutes. But Mr Inch said more could be done. "The number of questions is very demanding of staff resources during a very short turnaround period," he said.

"Together with the number of motions, the result has been some long council meetings and it is legitimate to question whether this is an efficient use of the council's democratic processes.

"A brisker approach to proceedings would be achieved by adhering to the time limits for speeches.

"Other options might include a restriction on the complexity of questions based on an estimate of the staff time to research and draft a response, a provision to remit motions direct to committees where their substance is clearly within the remit of a committee, and/or discontinuance of the leader's report as a council agenda item."

Cllr Dawe's leader's report effectively acts as the equivalent of parliamentary question time when it is tabled at the City Chambers. Each councillor can ask her one question on any relevant topic.

Ewan Aitken, due to stand down as Labour leader tomorrow, likened the situation to a meeting last year when parents protesting against school closures were not allowed to speak.

"First, the Lib Dem/SNP administration tried to gag the public by banning public delegations, now they are trying to silence political opposition by restricting our ability to ask questions," he said. "It's a scandalous affront to democracy and an attempt to restrict political transparency and accountability."

But Cllr Dawe today hit back, and said: "I will take no lessons in democracy from a man that, for a brief time, headed an administration where decisions were taken for the most part by a one-party executive.

"Ewan Aitken once again illustrates his inability to understand that our Lib Dem/SNP administration has vastly improved the way that elected members participate in decision-making.

"Cllr Aitken and his colleagues have been making a mockery of the full council meetings by submitting huge numbers of written questions, the answers to which they probably already know, and by submitting equally large numbers of motions which would be dealt with much more effectively and efficiently at committees."

Mr Inch's report will itself be debated on Thursday.