Dudley's Labour leader has strongly rejected allegations from the Liberal Democrats that his party is responsible for delaying important council debates. Cllr Shaukat Ali described the claims as 'absolute nonsense' as the council grapples with a backlog of 27 Notices of Motion submitted by elected members.
The motions cover a wide range of issues, from potholes to deep fakes, and are awaiting debate at full council meetings. Labour has been criticised for submitting the majority of the outstanding motions, along with any proposed amendments.
Lib Dem leader raises concerns over motion backlog
Dudley's Lib Dem leader, Cllr Ryan Priest, said that for many years motions were underused in the council chamber. He noted that when only the two traditional parties were represented, many meetings passed without any motions at all.
"A sceptic might suggest an ulterior motive to Labour submitting nearly 20 of them now that the Lib Dem and Reform group are putting some in," Cllr Priest said. He warned that with almost 30 motions in the queue, at the current rate every councillor would face re-election before they are all heard.
"This is delaying a vital debate on matters such as developers' community contributions and fair access to household waste recycling," he added.
Labour leader defends motion submissions
Cllr Ali dismissed the criticism as unfounded, stating that there is no hidden agenda behind the Labour group's motions. He listed the topics covered, including climate change, education, dropped kerbs, waste collection, Dudley Town Football Club, SEND, and regeneration.
"Which one of those issues does he and others think don't affect or impact local people?" Cllr Ali asked. He emphasised that all motions were submitted in accordance with the council's constitution and established procedures. "I don't know why people are crying about it," he added.
National issues in local motions defended
The Labour group leader also rejected suggestions that national issues, such as the NHS or retirement age, should be left to MPs rather than being raised through council motions. He argued that using every available avenue to raise concerns is important.
"If a motion gets approved it's shared with our MPs, they can say 'this is the view of the council'," Cllr Ali explained. The council is now considering how to clear the backlog of 27 motions, with the ongoing political dispute highlighting tensions between the groups.
