Letter: Sheffield Labour still needs to do much, much better

Coun Tom Hunt has made an apology over the trees scandal

It accepts the need for a change of culture and the leader, Coun Hunt, has said that he wants the council to be ‘the best we can be’.

Any apologies the council and the leader makes for its misdeeds and harms caused in the past must of course be welcomed. Any attempt to change the rancid political culture that has developed under successive Labour administrations in Sheffield must be applauded. The leaders claim that the council should learn from the past should also be strongly supported.

Many feel that the council’s municipal culture is so toxic that it will be difficult to reform. For years a kind of we know best institutionalized indifference has held sway with many seeing the council as arrogant, pompous and impervious to the wishes and feelings of the general public.

Sheffield's tens of thousands of street trees are beloved by many, some of whom joined in with protests to save some of the trees earmarked for felling, as part of a controversial £2.2 billion PFI contract between the council and Amey.
Star reader Linda Hughes said Sheffield's trees were her favourite thing about the city. Pictured is Western Road in Crookes — Sheffield's tens of thousands of street trees are beloved by many, some of whom joined in with protests to save some of the trees earmarked for felling, as part of a controversial £2.2 billion PFI contract between the council and Amey. Star reader Linda Hughes said Sheffield's trees were her favourite thing about the city. Pictured is Western Road in Crookes

At a recent full council meeting a composite motion was passed that said, ‘this council believes that for individuals who were cabinet members in the civic years 2015/16 to 2017/18, resignation from public office would be an appropriate indication of acceptance of responsibility for harms caused’. Fine words indeed. This is a clear example of the gap between words and solid restorative action. There is still a group of Labour councillors who served in the cabinet from 2015-18 and who still retain their seats on the council, steadfastly refusing to resign. It is entirely legitimate for people who have carried out and were responsible for disgraceful acts in public office to be themselves publicly disgraced. In the ‘new’ SCC there seems to be little to no prospect of this ever happening.

It is entirely understandable that Cllr Hunt and the ‘new’ SCC want to draw a line under the legacy of the scandals of the past. The Lowcock Report presents them with just this opportunity and the council have said that they will implement its recommendations in full. In spite of this many will feel that there still remain many loose ends. Some have argued that Lowcock was more concerned with conciliation than with justice. Others have focused on the failure to put a financial cost on the broader consequences of the councils madcap tree felling policy. Many are skeptical with regard to the councils claims to be heading in a new direction and its ability to achieve significant culture change.

If things were to change it would be wonderful. Is a change in the culture of governance really possible ? - I’m not holding my breath.

Arthur Baker

Western Road, Sheffield