Pugh criticises Sefton Council’s response to aviary closure petition

The job of any government, local or national, in a democracy is not only to make decisions but to justify and explain them to the public they serve. 

Yesterday was a dark day for democracy in Sefton as petitioners against the closure of the  Botanic Garden Aviary were shown a deaf ear by the ruling Labour administration on Sefton. Other, quite legitimate concerns were raised, but there was no case made for the closure or response to the new suggestions made by the petitioners. Instead Sefton Labour councillors decided simply to press on with closure.

"It was by general acknowledgement,"  said opposition leader, Liberal Democrat, Cllr.John Pugh , " the best presented and argued petition and address we have had for a very long time, but no one in the current administration chose to respond directly to the representations and suggestions made or provide a detailed rationale for the closure. That has never been given. A well thought-out, cross-party motion spelling out some detailed practical solutions and alternatives was also virtually ignored and summarily rejected.

Petitioning the Council is one of the few rights the publlc have to input directly into the decision making process, but if it turns to as obviously futile as it did last night what can a desperate public do?  The public are witnessing a Council that not only isn’t listening but does not seem especially interested in listening. Consultations have become a tick box formality as we found with cycle lanes and the Council feels free to ignore them, creating further cynicism.

Getting elected gives you the right to make decisions others can’t and spend other people’s money, but it also imposes you on the duty of explaining and justifying your choices in a rational manner based on evidence. 

Sefton is failing repeatedly to do the latter, corroding democracy and opening the door to extremism. 

Democracy is more than voting and cannot thrive in a “like it or lump it” atmosphere . 

Cllr. Pugh believes though that more thoughtful members of the Labour group recognise that the current “tin ear” culture is not healthy. In private discussions he says they can see that a breakdown in communication and trust with the public harms everyone and needs to be addressed.