onionbagblog

Events are moving fast paced down in the citizen run Rotten Borough. You may remember how the progressive Lambeth Co-operative Council had a Citizen’s Commission as the centrepiece of its policy to set up a Big Society co-op. The only problem was that citizens of Lambeth weren’t invited to the first meeting of the Citizen’s Commission.

Whoops.

And so following the secret handshakes involving the setting up of the Citizen’s Commission (featuring Councillors @cllrstevereed, @jackie_meldrum and Paul McGlone - ALL cabinet members, ALL high up within @LambethLabour) we now have news of how the Citizen’s Commission is going to progress:

“The process is being managed by the council’s corporate policy team.”

Which pretty much tells you all you need to know about the merits (and meritocracy) of a Co-op Council. Corporate policy is a polite way of saying our friends from @LambethLabour bend over backwards yet again and put on a brave smile as big business gets first dibs.

Who exactly is part of the council’s corporate policy team? Let me guess - three high ranking @LambethLabour cabinet members, by any chance? Gives us names, positions, and processes for accountability and representation please.

Fair play for a separate page on the @lambeth_council website being set up to explain the corporate policy team control of the Citizen’s Commission. All that criticism on the Facebook page and the wiki at least has the co-operative effect of getting some answers out of the secretive Citizen’s Commission.

The minutes from the first meeting are still not available publicly, and the powers of the three @LambethLabour cabinet members, sitting to represent the citizens, haven’t been explained either. Future meetings are open to the public. Membership isn’t, and you have to request an invite in advance.

It’s compelling viewing, this co-operative lark. One secret society leads to another.

Never knowingly undersold, etc.