Clause 44
Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill
6:54 pm
Phil Woolas (Minister of State (Local Government & Community Cohesion), Department for Communities and Local Government; Oldham East and Saddleworth, Labour)
Thank you Mr. Benton. I think you put it more politely than my Whip was about to do. I have now completely forgotten the question that I was asked. It was about by-elections. In our model, if an individual stood both as a ward councillor and as a member of the slate, he or she would risk winning and losing. In the event of winning the executive election, they would have to resign the ward election and in the event of losing they would, if elected at ward level, carry on in that position. Those individuals would have to face that decision and make that judgment. It is right that under this model people cannot hold both offices, just as an elected mayor cannot also hold a ward councillor position. It is part of the separation of executive and policy.
Finally—this comes back to the point that I have been trying to get across to the Committee—it would be the council’s decision whether to go for this model. If it was aware of the possibility of forcing by-elections and took the view that it might be damaging to its democracy because of turnout or other factors—it is not right for me to pre-empt its considerations—I assume that it would not go for that model. But it would be a consequence of the model that is being put forward. I hope that factually answers the hon. Gentleman’s question.