Health Concern Appoint Shadow Cabinet.

Wyre Forest DC main opposition party, Independent Health Concern, have today announced the appointment of what is believed to be the Districts first formal Shadow Cabinet (see attached annex for names and responsibilities).

The aim is to strengthen local democracy, to individually "shadow" the administration's Cabinet members in their specific roles, provide a better avenue for the public to influence council collective thinking through direct contact with opposition "specialists" and provide Health Concern, as the major opposition party, with the forum to promote its views and policies within Council more effectively.

Health Concern Leader, Cllr. Howard Martin said_ 

"It is well documented that we feel marginalized by the Tory administration's apparent exclusion of us, as a party,  from any significant positions within Council.

Therefore by establishing a Shadow Cabinet we will create our own close scrutiny opportunity of the Cabinet functions and post holders and the chance for our appointed members to obtain detailed briefings from senior council officers.

It will be better for local democracy because we will have specialist members capable of questioning, knowledgeably, at Cabinet Meetings and elsewhere, the Cabinet Member on their areas of responsibility.

It will be a much more detailed and in depth overview of the Administration role than is currently possible through scrutiny committees because it will be constant and ongoing.

Also the public will be able to access our specialist members offering them the chance to promote public views that may differ with Council policy. It is another step towards our Party's major aim for "bottom up" local democracy and giving people a real say."

Shadow Cabinet Responsibilities 2008.