Reform under fire after Durham council March meeting called off

Opposition councillors have criticised Durham County Council for deciding not to hold the meeting at 10am on Wednesday (March 25), where residents and members can openly question the authority. 

But Reform said it “won’t have meetings for the sake of it” and that council officers received no requests for questions from the public or opposition before the deadline last week. 

Several key decisions were discussed and approved at a recent cabinet meeting, the party added. 

A message on the council’s website initially said the meeting was cancelled and would not be convened due to a lack of business. However, that has since changed to say “business from this meeting will be considered at the next scheduled meeting”, which is in May. 

Councillor Rob Crute, leader of County Durham Labour, said: “This time last year, during the election campaign, we heard so much about what Reform were going to do once they’d seized power, yet here we are sitting this one out because there’s nothing to talk about. 

“In my experience, it’s highly unusual for a newly elected administration to run out of policy ideas within just a few months of taking control of the council.”

John Shuttleworth, leader of the Durham County Council Independent Group and member since 1997, said that apart from during the Covid pandemic, council meetings have almost always gone ahead.

He added: “It is unheard of to see a full council meeting cancelled, as there is always some business to transact. Maybe Reform doesn’t want to answer any awkward questions?”

But leaders at the Reform-led local authority have hit back, questioning why the opposition did not turn up to last Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, where members considered items including HMO policy, high street rental auctions, and changes to local networks.  

Andrew Husband, council leader, said: “At Reform, we won’t have meetings for the sake of it. If the opposition doesn’t want to have a say and just wants to let us crack on with the job, then that is great too. 

“You can’t complain about no full council this week after no effort was made to take part in full council. Cllr Shuttleworth says we don’t want to answer awkward questions? What awkward questions…they didn’t submit any? You can’t make it up.”

“As for Cllr Crute, was he asleep at the wheel last week and missed cabinet? It is fair to say there is a lot going on. They are just too lazy to be part of it.”