Reform lodge complaint with Northumberland County Council over constitution review

The review of the document was announced at the first meeting of the new-look council in May following the local elections.

Since then, none of the usual public scrutiny meetings have been held. The new constitution is due to be put to a vote of members on July 2.

However, Reform say it has made a “formal complaint” to the council’s standards committee regarding “breaches of procedure and potential violations of the Nolan Principles”. The subject and detail of the complaint has not been made public.

The council insist that all rules have been followed, although leading councillors have declined to comment on Reform remarks.

Reform officials claim members have made formal requests to delay the constitution process, arguing its newly-elected councillors have not had the necessary training needed to make the decisions. In addition, the party has claimed agendas for review meetings – held behind closed doors – were delivered with less than 24 hours notice, while councillors were left with “out of date” documents.

Speaking on behalf of the Reform UK opposition group on the council, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea councillor Ben Audsley said: “”We are being asked to take part in a recommendation to the whole council on July 2 to agree changes to the constitution that we believe will result in a disadvantage to the Reform Party and other newly elected members being able to represent the voice of the public in accordance to the current democratic structure of the local authority committees.

“This undermines both democratic accountability and the principle of fair representation.

“This isn’t about party politics. It’s about due process. Pushing through changes without scrutiny raises serious red flags for democracy in Northumberland.”

The party has raised specific concerns over plans to remove planning decisions from local area committees. Since 2017, the five committees, representing the different parts of the county, have been able to call in smaller applications in their area for approval.

Under the new system, this would be replaced by three larger committees, also representing geographical areas. However, while the local area committees involve all councillors from any given area, the new committees would have 12 members each, appointed on a party-proportional basis – much like the council’s other committees.

Reform claim this would “bypass local democratic control” – particularly in the Ashington and Blyth area, where Reform hold all but two of the seats.

However, Independent leader Coun Derek Kennedy, who represents the Hexham West ward, felt the changes were sensible.

Coun Kennedy said: “The suggestion is not to get rid of them but to re-jig them. It is being done to reduce the number from five down to three – it is jut a readjustment.

“To me it seems fairly reasonable. I can’t see what the problem with doing that would be.

“I think it will lead to more meaningful work.”

Reform are expected to bring a motion to the July meeting requesting for a deferral of the constitutional vote until at least September.

Northumberland Conservatives have declined to comment on the matter.

A spokesman for Northumberland County Council said: “The council is satisfied that the constitutional requirements have been followed in all regards.”

Northumberland Labour leader Scott Dickinson – whose party abstained from the council’s leadership vote last month – sits on the cross-party constitution review group.

He said: “I hate to be defending the Conservative-led council, but I don’t know what else they can do. We are being consulted on the proposals and drafted proposals of the constitution have been amended in line with feedback.

“I’m not sure where Reform are coming from or what training you would need to do this. Some committees are having their names changed to better reflect what they do.

“Local area committees are being changed, but planning is not political – it shouldn’t matter who is on the committee, the decision should be made with the evidence that is in front of you.”