Reform may have won the most seats in Warwickshire but can they lead the council? WCC CEO Monica Fogarty has the answers to what happens next
THE ink on the voting forms was only just about dry when Reform UK’s central office started making statements about what will be happening at the councils once they are in power, writes Gill Sutherland.
That included “resisting” asylum seekers being housed in their areas, end working from home for council staff and sacking those working on climate change or diversity.
Will such policies be enforceable in Warwickshire? Will our taxpayers’ money be spent settling constructive dismissal claims for former council staff? Will Reform county councils have the power to veto government policy and the asylum system?
There is one woman who can answer all these questions and more: Monica Fogarty, the CEO of Warwickshire County Council. A non-political appointment, she oversees the day-to-day running of the council – and with 25 years under her belt, she knows her stuff and has seen it all before. Even so such a radical change of personnel and political hue is a surprise.
“We haven’t had a complete switch in political strength or representation to the extent that we have had this week, it is a radical change. Of our 57 councillors, 40 are new. So that is a huge amount of experience that has gone out the door,” she said.
With no time to stand still, new councillors are busy being brought up to speed on council business, including governance and conduct, through an intense, two-day induction.
As to who will take control of the council leadership, that is all to play for. Although Reform have the most councillors – 23 out of 57 – they do not have a majority.
Ms Fogarty said: “We’ve had a Conservative majority for the last two terms. Prior to that there was a minority administration; then no overall control, but a Labour administration in the late-90s.”
Talking to Ms Fogarty you get the impression not much would faze her.
“The fact is the council keeps running, but there is a little bit of a judder as we wait to see who’s going to form the administration. All the machinery is established so the decision-making business of the council can get under way again.”
Explaining what will happen next, she said: “The first thing is for each of the political parties to form themselves into a group. And they elect a leader and a deputy leader in each of the groups. Those meetings take place behind closed doors, politicians only. And all of that is so that at the council meeting on the 16th May, this council can elect a chairman, a vice-chairman, a leader of the council, and so on.
“And then the leader appoints their cabinet. How smoothly that goes depends on the conversations that have taken place between the political groups in advance of the meeting. Because although one would assume that Reform would want to take the administration, it is a minority administration and they can only do that with the agreement of the other groups. So that’s how coalitions are formed. Either for Reform can form a coalition with one of the other groups to ensure that they have a majority in voting terms, or the other groups to form a coalition so that they can have sufficient votes.”
She added: “Of course, we know that political ideologies are very different and it will be hard for some groups to see themselves being in coalition with anyone.
“While I don’t participate in those discussions, what I can do is facilitate them happening and help the politicians work out how various options could or would work in practice.”
As for threats to axe certain council staff jobs proposed by the Reform national party, Ms Fogarty is not worried.
“I have had reassuring comments from new councillors that they have not come into politics to slash and make cuts, but have come in for positive reasons and to do good,” she said. “But I have shared with them concerns from staff. And while we are a large organisation, we are very lean, and are pretty much down to the bone. All of the staff work very hard, do a fabulous job. And I’m sure all councillors that are new will come to see that for themselves.”
Ms Fogarty is also dubious about the ability of the parties to enact policy-change promises made on the campaign trail – such as stopping immigrants being housed in the area.
“What we need to focus on is the difference between political campaign rhetoric and the business of governing and being in control,” she said. “They’re very different things. I think most people understand that what is said in political campaigning is very different to what gets done in practice.”
She added: “There’s a lot for everyone to learn and for us to grow relationships and to accept each other as we find each other and start from there. We have to be positive and optimistic because there’s too much national narrative that gets you off on the wrong foot. And I’m certainly optimistic with what I’ve seen and the councillors I’ve met.”
Lastly, one councillor promised to make meetings less stuffy – what does she make of that?
“I don’t see them as stuffy. What I do remind councillors is that council meetings are live streamed and there are standards of behaviour and conduct and rules that have to be adhered to.”
