Cabinet meetings ‘toxic’, ‘condescending’ and like a ‘royal court’

Opposition politicians have launched a blistering attack on Marvin Rees, labelling cabinet meetings “toxic”, “condescending” and like a “royal court” after the mayor criticised them for failing to attend.

The mayor scolded councillors for not showing up to City Hall for the most recent cabinet meeting and said it could undermine the handover from the mayoral system to cross-party decision-making committees in 2024.

But Tory leader Mark Weston and Green leader Heather Mack have hit back at the Labour mayor, saying the meetings are nothing more than a rubber-stamping exercise for decisions made beforehand in private and are pointless to anyone outside his “charmed ruling inner-circle”.

Speaking at the end of the meeting on Tuesday, Rees said: “I will just say as I say before, this was the most poorly attended cabinet I have chaired since being elected as mayor, from councillors.

“And if we are serious about the committee system, it’s really important that councillors begin attending these meetings because they need to familiarise themselves with the decision-making processes in the council and what’s actually going on.

“And the committee system will require attendance at cabinet meetings beyond the level of attendance that councillors currently put in.

“So it’s very important to the handover that’s going to happen between the mayoral system and the committee system that the game is upped, basically, in attendance.

“Today was really not good enough. It’s not summer holidays, it’s not half-terms, you know, this is school time, so we can be here.”

Bristol’s cabinet is made solely of Labour councillors – photo: Labour Party

Weston said afterwards: “There is both a correlation and causation in any drop-off in opposition attendance at cabinet with the adoption of an elected mayor form of governing.

“Since, at least, the demise of the last vestiges of a rainbow cabinet in November 2017, participating at these meetings has been increasingly unproductive, demoralising and acted as a disincentive to councillors outside of a charmed ruling inner-circle.

“In fact, I cannot immediately recall a single instance when the presence and/or representations of an opposing councillor has managed to change a proposed course of action by the administration at cabinet.

“Everything is usually tied down and decided well beforehand.

“This disconnect has always been a danger and weakness of the mayoral system where nearly all decision-making remains vested wholly in the Labour mayor.”

He said there was a huge power imbalance between the executive and everyone else.

“Being present has almost become something akin to visiting the royal court and awaiting to receive a decree rather than any process of genuine democratic engagement or exchange.

“It is precisely because these events are used more as an opportunity for the mayor to make pronouncements rather than change minds that any attempt to compare, conflate or commingle cabinet with the committee system is entirely false.

“I would expect meetings under the new committee model to be much more positive forums with an opportunity for every member to shape and influence policy.”

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Read more: Rees: ‘I want to share my power as mayor’

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Mack said: “It shouldn’t be a surprise not many people attend a meeting where all decisions have been made in advance by the mayor, and questions submitted are often ducked or ignored by the cabinet.

“As a meeting it’s more of a rubber-stamping event than a decision-making forum.

“The Labour administration’s behaviour to guests at these meetings – often aggressive or condescending – certainly doesn’t help.

“I think members would feel encouraged to contribute more if the response to question and challenge was less toxic.

“Bristol has firmly rejected the mayoral model on display at cabinet, and under the committee system the meeting itself will no longer exist.

“Instead of watching a scripted decision play out from the sidelines, councillors will have the opportunity to engage in real decision-making processes, informed discussions and debates together.

“While the mayor complains to a dwindling crowd, councillors from all parties in Bristol are getting on with their everyday responsibilities, working with residents and community groups and attending council meetings where they have a real voice, including meetings to design the shape and structure of the committee system.”

Mack said the administration should make it easier for councillors to engage with and scrutinise decisions, such as by allowing councillors more questions and more time to read reports and treating them “with respect”.

Bristol residents voted to scrap the directly elected mayoral system and return to committees in a referendum in May.

Main photo: Bristol City Council / YouTube

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