Confidence Motion Shut Down by “Trump like” Tactics from Labour
Last night (26th February) Labour councillors exploited a procedural trick to shut down the Liberal Democrats’ Extraordinary Meeting on housing, where they were set to hold a confidence motion in Southwark Labour’s leadership.
The meeting, the first of its kind in 16 years, was called by the opposition party following the Regulator of Social Housing’s findings of “serious failings”. The Southwark Liberal Democrats used the meeting to table a motion of no confidence in Labour bosses who had held the housing portfolio, and continue to serve as council leader and finance chief.
In a move described as “Trump like”, at the earliest opportunity the Labour whip immediately shut the debate down, leading to a vote where Labour councillors “closed ranks” against the Liberal Democrats’ motion.
Before the debate could be shut down, Labour Cllr Richard Livingstone attempted to defend the council’s record by claiming that other landlords also oversaw appalling living conditions.
Cllr Chamberlain, who opened the debate, referenced the recent Southwark Tenants conference, where a show of hands demonstrated unanimously that residents had no trust in the Labour-run council.
Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader of the Opposition Cllr Victor Chamberlain said:
“The scenes we saw last night show exactly how we got in this mess. Shutting down debate and refusing to take any democratic accountability for our repeated housing scandals is nothing short of Trump like. I am deeply disappointed that once again this Labour administration refuses face the music.
I’m proud that the Liberal Democrats are continuing to stand up for residents through appalling failures. By closing ranks to protect their own, unfortunately Labour once again proved that they will always put their party before people.”