Kim shapes her cabinet to serve the needs of ‘our town’
In shaking up the members of her council’s cabinet Councillor Kim Forward says she has chosen a cabinet that she believes will best serve the needs of ‘our town’.
Ms Forward who became leader of Hastings Borough Council in March says she has also thanked those no longer in the cabinet; they are the Conservatives Rob Lee and Andrew Patmore and Labour’s Sue Beaney.
At the start of last night’s cabinet meeting Ms Forward explained that with no opportunity to hold the traditional ‘Annual Meeting’ that is normally held in May she had taken the decisions on cabinet membership.
It was announced yesterday afternoon, just hours before the cabinet was due to meet, that the two Conservative members were being kicked off the powerful decision making council committee, news that has drawn a mixed response among Hastings In Focus.
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Nick Perry of the Liberal Democrats says he believes ‘instinctively’ that axing the Conservative members from the cabinet is a good idea: “‘The Conservatives are showing the public at every level of government just how capable they are in office. Who can blame Councillor Forward for deciding to do without them?”
The new cabinet portfolio holders were named at the start of last night’s meeting and they are:
- Councillor Kim Forward (leader): Strategy and Partnership Working
- Councillor Colin Fitzgerald (deputy leader): Regeneration, Culture and Tourism
- Councillor Peter Chowney: Financial Management and Estates
- Councillor Judy Rogers: Equalities, Organisational Well-Being & Performance
- Councillor Paul Barnett: Urban Environment and Community Safety
- Councillor Maya Evans: Natural Environment and Leisure
- Councillor Andy Batsford: Housing and Homelessness
- Councillor Margi O’Callaghan: Chair of the Charity Committee
Hastings In Focus has asked Ms Forward for a personal comment but so far we have had no reply.
I would hope that a refreshed cabinet will take a closer look at the old bathing pool site and perhaps reconsider what is best for the community most impacted by it.
Call me cynical if you wish. All this reshuffle is a some new names but just “Business As Usual.”
They all have to toe the party line. They all get told what to say, when to say it and of course what not to say. Labour has had total control of the council for years so why should there be any real changes by a reshuffle?