‘Question-time’ cuts prompt ‘dictator’ jibe

HOWARD SYKES

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TEMPERS flared at the first council meeting of the new electoral year yesterday with Liberal Democrat councillors accusing Oldham Council leader Jim McMahon of wanting to be a dictator.

The drama unfolded when the chamber agreed to pass a motion which will see a slight change in how many questions party leaders can ask at full council meetings.

Councillor McMahon, the leader of Oldham’s Labour Party — which holds 45 of the council’s 60 seats — would still get five questions but Councillor Howard Sykes, the leader of Oldham’s Lib-Dem opposition, will now only have the opportunity to ask two questions rather than the three previously allowed.

The question taken from the Lib-Dems will now be shared between UKIP — who have two councillors — and the Conservatives, who also have two councillors.

All councillors — with the exception of the 10 Lib-Dems — voted in favour of the motion.

Councillor Sykes said: “This is the first time I have tabled an amendment but that should show how passionate I feel about this motion.

“I feel in the past I have asked reasonable questions that have been well received. I don’t understand why this has been brought about.”

The Lib-Dems also fear that with the amount of time allocated in each meeting to ask such questions by the time Labour have finished theirs there may not be long enough left.

Lib-Dem Councillor Garth Harkness added: “We are not being given the opportunity to question and challenge the leadership which we have up until now.”

Councillor McMahon then strongly defended his party’s reasons for the change in constitution and hit out at the opposition.

He said: “In 2011 you had 21 members, now you have 10. The world has moved on.

“We are in multi-party politics now, you are not the big shots you once were. There are other minority groups in Oldham Council’s chamber now and this needs to be respected.

“In a meeting before today I met with the other party leaders who gave their backing but you did not turn up.”

Howard Sykes added he was unable to attend the meeting.

The heat was cranked up further when Lib-Dem councillor Rod Blyth accused Councillor McMahon of “wanting to be a dictator” — something the council leader took clear offence to.

Councillor McMahon said: “The debate has descended into a farce. The intent of this is to recognise that we have a multi-party chamber.”

The changes will also see the amount of full council meetings each year decrease from six to five.