Council leader defends policy on public questions

JHE leader of the Conservative group on Hyndburn Council has repeated his accusation that its Labour administration is running the authority like a communist state despite a concession over the number of councillors needed to sign a motion for debate.

- BY BILL JACOBS

Coun Zak Khan made the original allegation after a constitutional change in October which required five members to sign and submit a motion for it to be debated by a full council meeting.

At the authority’s annual meeting the Labour group changed that requirement to just three councillors (ie a mover, seconder and one other).

But it also made another constitutional amendment which said that members of the public should raise questions at council via a councillor, rather than public having the right to submit questions directly.

Coun Khan said in response: “Chinese communist President Xi has some good friends in the Hyndburn Labour Party.