In the local press the Barnet Tories have attacked Labour councillors over the decision to pull out of what are unconstitutional working group meetings that, despite requests from Labour councillors, have largely been held in private. We made it clear from the start that we wanted all these working group meetings to be held in public but this was refused by the Tories because – as has been demonstrated time and again over the past decade – they don’t believe in transparency and engaging local people.

What’s more, the Tory councillors’ attendance at these meetings has been patchy at best, and often they sit there and say nothing in them – as many of them also do at main committee meetings. They reluctantly agreed to hold three of these working group meetings in public, but refused to publicise them and papers for some of them were circulated to councillors on the day of the meeting, not leaving enough time for people to read them beforehand.

Under these circumstances, I completely understand why Labour members of the environment committee decided it wasn’t worth attending the final meeting. This is no way to run a council but the Barnet Tories just don’t seem to learn. The lack of transparency and openness has landed them in court again and again in recent years and has seen their majority on the council reduced to just one vote.

Cllr Alison Moore

Leader of the Barnet Labour Group Barnet Borough Council