The Suffolk Conservative Group has today given Suffolk County Council until the end of the working week to publish its detailed response to formal challenges tabled by councillors over how its decisions to pursue a judicial review (JR) of the Government's Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) decision, a case which on the council's own figures could cost up to £500,000, were made.
Between 27 June and 1 July, councillors from across opposition groups lodged four formal challenges under the council's constitution. These questioned how the decisions of 18 and 29 June to issue and then continue JR proceedings against the Government were taken. On 1 July, the council promised members, in writing, a clear response by 10 July. That promise was broken and a reminder went unanswered. On 27 July, the Conservative Group Leader wrote formally demanding an answer, or a timetable for answers, by the close of the working week.
A detailed response from the council's Monitoring Officer was received on Monday 3 August, but the council has determined that it is sensitive, meaning Suffolk Conservatives are not allowed to share it with the public and press. The group has now called for that response to be published, with anything genuinely privileged removed, by close on Friday 7 August.
Councillor Richard Rout, Leader of the Suffolk Conservative Group, said:
"We have waited over a month for these answers to our challenges over how the decision to launch a court case against the Government, which on the council's own figures could carry costs of up to £500,000, was made. The answers now exist but the council has determined we're not allowed to share them with the public.
"These answers are all contained in a detailed response from the council's own Monitoring Officer, and we are firmly of the view that residents should be allowed to read them. Our ask of the council is clear and simple – publish it by the end of the day on Friday, with anything genuinely privileged taken out.
"The irony is pretty staggering. This council is in court arguing that the Government wasn't open about how it reached its decision. Now, after answering our challenges, the same council is keeping those answers from the public.
"The response we've received is serious and detailed, and I want to recognise that. Which is exactly why residents should see it. A piece of work as thorough as this belongs in the open, not locked away from view in a filing cabinet.
"These questions aren't going away. As a Group, we will be pursuing them through the council's Scrutiny Committee this autumn, in public, and we'll be seeking changes to the council's rules so that no councillor is ever again left waiting a month to learn what has been decided. A month ago, we asked for answers. We chased and we chased but now the answers have arrived, we're not allowed to share them publicly."
