Full Council

I abandoned my reviews of Full Council meetings in April. It seems they are the practical limits of political blogging. Its inevitable that in an 8 hour meeting you might find a decent opposition point or a duff one from your own side. However saying so on a blog can upset a lot of people. Somehow Hallowe'en seems an appropriate day to have a full council meeting as it was a "House of Horrors". The new time limits have reduced the length to a mere 6 hours. Despite this I only got to speak once with predictably some of the softer, more consensual motions being talked out.

Two of the votes were a bit closer than they usually are and we had an epic debate on the proposed Incinerator. I have not hidden my views on this topic but its worth falging up how far the debate has moved on in just two years. The City's recycling target has been increased from 40% to 51% with an "aspirational target" of 70% by 2020, the bid for PFI credits now has all the technological solutions on the table and the Council is being neutral having previously said Incineration was the only option. In addition no final decsion will be made till 2010 rather than us signing up now.

I have never had a philosophical objection to incineration per se. High recycling nordic countries use it to get rid of the 10% to 15% of waste that they can't get rid of. What was an enviromental betrayal in my view was the original target of 40% of the City's waste being recycled with the remaining 60% being burnt in a huge single site incinerator. We have moved a long way from that strategy and with some more campaigning and a bit of luck we can get a very high recycling scheme approved in 2010.

In the mean time of course while Incineration isn't ruled out Labour will accuse us of proposing something close to the original scheme at the selected short list of 4 east leeds sites. Thats opposition and it creates a huge presentational challange for the party.

The Liberal Democrat Leader Mark Harris made his last contribution from the front bench. there were lots nice speeches about him but I thought a lack of any real warmth. John major was right when he said it was a rough old trade.

The other theatrical point was the appearance of former Collegue Kabeer Hussain on the Labour benches. The whole thing showed politics at its worst. Its amazing the Psychological effect the debating chamber can have on people. I saw one Councillor hissing and spiting at him like some kind of animal.

I end with the point that I always make. Much as I would like to say these meetings are irrelavent they aren't. Powerful people are held to account and although at times I want to slit my wrists the City would be worse off without them.

Now all I have to do is see if this toned down review offends anyone.