I would like to express my extreme concern and objection to the undemocratic way in which the council is moving towards a cabinet system of government for Brighton and Hove.

I realise the Government requires the council to move to a cabinet system, however, the council does not have to do so until May 2009. There is plenty of time for a thorough consultation and for a fair system to be devised.

As a Brighton and Hove resident I have had no opportunity to participate in the process of moving towards a cabinet system of government nor, indeed, have my elected local councillors. The new model has been worked out behind closed doors and the time that is to be given for local consultation - two weeks - is totally inadequate.

Clearly there is no intention to take any notice of what the public thinks and it makes a sham of local democracy. The creation of a constitution is a matter that should take months and be the result of democracy in action. To prevent even local elected representatives from having an input in the process does not augur well for the future. Is this centralisation of the decisionmaking process to become the norm under the new cabinet system of government?

The proposed constitution centralises the decision-making process and takes the council further away from the people who elected it. Under the new constitution, many crucial executive committees which were multi-party and gave local councillors a voice in the decisionmaking process will have decisions taken by an appointed councillor of the same party as the leader of the cabinet. Or will the cabinet leader divide up the control of the executive committees between the parties on a proportional basis?

I urge the council to think again and allow a year to develop a more representative model. It is important for democracy that local people, through their elected representatives, have real access to the decision-making process. I suggest that the cabinet should be a mixed body, representing the different parties on a proportional basis and that the chairs of the scrutiny committees be of a different party to the majority party.

  • Peter Crowhurst, Kensington Place, Brighton