Birmingham gets a kick in the teeth for democracy

This is a system that relies on a certain amount of goodwill to work well and a recognition by cabinet members that, more often than not, they are going to find themselves on the wrong end of scrutiny criticism. Taking it on the chin and moving on is all part of the art of leadership.
Birmingham City Council, certainly since 2004 when the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition took control, has had a problem with scrutiny.
Liberal Democrats run the scrutiny process......but they are of course also running the council with their Tory partners.
Many glossy reports are produced over the course of a year, making all sorts of suggestions about how the council can improve, but recommendations not to the liking of the cabinet have a habit of disappearing without trace. A raft of proposals on tackling climate change are yet to see the light of day almost two years after they were published, for example.
This week saw the greatest slap in the face yet for scrutiny.
Councillors wanted to ask some urgent questions about a £20 million loan to Warwickshire County Cricket Club.
Council leader Mike Whitby, who has made approval of the loan a personal goal, was supposed to attend but had to cry off in order to wine and dine the Jamaican High Commissioner. He could actually have popped along to the scrutiny committee mid-afternoon, but felt the need to dash off to London to catch a performance of the Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Cabinet leisure, sport and culture member Ray Hassall, who would have been second choice to bat for executive at the scrutiny meeting, was also with the Jamaican High Commissioner. His colleague, regeneration cabinet member Neville Summerfield, was on holiday. No idea of the whereabouts of deputy council leader Paul Tilsley, but I imagine he had an equally pressing prior engagement.
As I have made clear, Coun Whitby and his pals behave in this way because they can get away with it. If the cabinet want to give Warwickshire County Cricket Club £20 million, that's what they will do, and if they don't want to answer questions they don't have to.
Continuing to behave in such a high-handed manner, though, is bound to put more strain on the Tory-Lib Dem coalition as it approaches its fifth anniversary.
There are a growing number of well-meaning Lib Dem councillors who feel that scrutiny is being kicked in the teeth. And they are right.