Councillors reject 'only focus on borough' motion

Darlington's councillors have been urged to focus on Darlington

A borough's councillors have rejected a motion calling on them to only debate local issues and stop addressing matters they have no control over.

Conservative Scott Durham tabled the motion at Darlington Borough Council after Green Party councillors urged opposition members to join its plea for a ceasefire in Gaza at a meeting in December.

Mr Durham's motion said councillors were elected to "focus on Darlington and nothing else" and not to "protest, champion a cause or political ideology".

Opposition parties deemed the motion "wholly inappropriate" and it was refused after a majority of Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green Party members voted against it.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said Green Party members' motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war was voted down in December.

The council instead backed an amended motion, which called for a "cessation of violence", though all Conservative councillors abstained from the vote and left the hall when it took place.

'Meaningless'

In his motion, the Brinkburn and Faverdale councillor said that "as councillors, we are elected to represent residents within the borough on matters which this council has control over".

"We are not elected to protest, champion a cause or political ideology," the motion continued.

“The lack of focus hasn’t gone unnoticed by residents, who, quite rightly, expect those they elect to focus on Darlington and nothing else.”

Opposition parties on the authority, which is under no overall control, called the motion "wholly inappropriate".

Council leader Stephen Harker said it was designed to "stifle debate at meetings".

"To say these events aren’t having an impact on people in our town is an affront to those families who have lost relatives," the Labour councillor added.

"This is an issue which is affecting a significant number of people in the town.”

Green Party members also refused to back the motion.

Group leader Matthew Snedker said he had met residents who were grateful time was taken to debate the issue.

He added that Mr Durham's motion was "meaningless".

Responding to the debate, Conservative group leader Jonathan Dulston said the essence of the motion proved that council scrutiny needed to improve.