The York Council meeting on Thursday is to be asked by Labour to fly a “Gay Pride” flag over the Mansion House while taxpayers will be asked to fund a publication which will give the views of candidates in the Police Commissioner elections.
The LibDems have put down motions which would see 350 litter bins returned to the City’s streets while the Tories want to reduce the proportion of affordable housing provided on local developments to 10% (currently the proportion required ranges up to 40%)
Labour ruin a perfectly reasonable (to liberals) motion about equal rights by reopening the symbolism divisions of yester years. In the eighties some Labour activists wanted to fly the red flag above the Mansion House following one of their election victories. They were talked out of the idea by wiser heads and for many years now everyone has agreed that only the York flag would be flown there.
Perhaps more worrying is the plan to “ensure York Pride 2012 and Parade for Equal Marriage on Saturday 21st July is publicised via all CYC communications” Given that the motion will be debated only 5 working days before the event takes place, that is pretty much impossible. In any event, many of the thousands of communications issued each week by the Council are to defaulters. How appreciative the recipient of a penalty charge notice for illegal car parking would be, if urged to join a gay pride march, is a matter for speculation (and might be seen by some as a cruel and unusual punishment).
The arrangements for the Police Commissioner elections are a mess. The Commissioners powers are at best obscure to most potential electors. Voters will be expected to access a web site to get details of candidates and their policies.
In York and North Yorkshire candidates will be allowed to spend up to a legal expenses limit of £111,814, in pursuit of the £70,000 a year job.
However, asking Council Taxpayers to fund – what for many is an unnecessary change in Police management arrangements – would be an insult to the many hard working people in the City who are struggling to make ends meet.
Typically, a Council newspaper costs £3000 to produce to which should be added delivery costs of around £7000.
One Labour Councillor from York has already been declared as a candidate in the November Commissioner elections. The Tories have selected someone from West Yorkshire to be their flag bearer.
http://tinyurl.com/York-Council-12th-July-2012
