Sheffield City Council has a new interim Chief Executive (Charlie Adan) until a permanent appointment is made in 6 months time. Their top priority must be to end the now rampant politicisation allowed to take hold since 2011, when Labour took back control, and restore democracy to the council. The incentivised felling of street trees for Amey’s financial benefit linked to attempts to jail an elected opposition councillor is the most high profile abuse of power. But a long list has just been added to by the hand-picking of panel members to force through job cuts to the planning service.
Sheffielders will have a say in this as well. On May 7th you can vote in a citywide referendum to change the cabinet system, in which just 9 Labour councillors have any say in how the city is run, to a new committee system where all councillors have a decision-making role. On the same day, your vote in the council elections can end the Labour majority and create a “No Overall Control” council in which parties will have to work together. The street tree campaign slogan “Sheffield – where democracy goes to die” sums up the last decade. We need a fresh start.
Cllr Martin Phipps
Green Party, City ward
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