West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin accused of question time 'stitch-up' by angry Wakefield Council party leaders

Lib Dem and Tory councillors have been told they may have to submit any questions in advance of Ms Brabin’s long-awaited appearance at a meeting of the Labour-run council later this month.

Councillors are already fuming that Ms Brabin has failed to turn up to any Wakefield Council meetings to be held to account since being elected 18 months ago.

Tom Gordon, Lib Dem Group Leader, said he was told by senior officers that he may have to disclose any questions in writing ahead of the meeting.

Coun Gordon said: “Mayor Brabin has on multiple occasions cancelled her appearance before Wakefield Council, but has managed to jet set around the world, including hobnobbing with other mayors in New York.

“She shows utter contempt for residents of our area, who overwhelmingly said they did not want a West Yorkshire Mayor in the first place.

“Now we face a pre-rehearsed stitch-up when she finally does show up.

“Any suggestion that Ms Brabin should expect written questions in advance of the meeting is ridiculous.

“Taxpayer-funded staff should not have to do the leg work in providing answers as to what Ms Brabin has achieved, or rather failed to achieve, in office.”

Councillors were told when joining the new West Yorkshire mayoralty that the Mayor would attend at least once a year to address councillors and take questions.

Coun Gordon said elected members had still not been given a clear picture of the format of the meeting.

He added: “If she’s doing her job correctly she will be able to answer questions and be held to account, much like Labour Cabinet members do at council meetings or indeed the Prime Minister at Prime Minister’s Questions.

“I hope that the Labour administration at Wakefield Council do their duty and help to hold the Mayor to account, and don’t partake in a stitch-up.”

Conservative Group Leader Tony Homewood said: “A Mayor of West Yorkshire was supposed to enhance our democracy and offer a new string to our regional bow, in terms of attracting business and jobs to our region.

“In areas like the West Midlands this has worked well, with businessmen like Andy Street being elected.

“A man whose business acumen and credibility can open doors.

“Tracy Brabin, on the other hand, can barely be bothered to show up to Wakefield, having cancelled meetings several times, whilst still seeming to have time to flit off to New York on some boondoggle, no doubt at our expense, to meet people who didn’t vote for her.

“In this latest appointment with Wakefield’s elected representatives, Tracy Brabin wants to restrict us to pre-notified questions, and where Labour councillors get the lion’s share of those questions which they can bowl underarm to her.

“Bet then, what else can we expect from someone whose only qualification for the job is that she used to be in some soap opera on TV?”

The Mayor has previously been criticised by Wakefield councillors of all parties for failing to attending meetings.

In July, Council Leader Denise Jeffery said: “I have made the point to Tracy that we are very disappointed that she could not attend.

“Wakefield did not want a Mayor. I said that many times and I did campaign for a while not to have an elected Mayor when it was first proposed a few years ago.

“There is a lot of work to do and Tracy is aware of that and I have made our feelings known, as a council, that she needs to come here and convince us, the people of Wakefield, that it was the right thing to do to go for a Mayor.”

A spokesperson for Mayor Brabin said: “The Mayor was due to attend a Wakefield Council meeting in January which was regrettably cancelled due to Covid.

“The Mayor is attending the next meeting of the council and looks forward to answering any questions members would like to raise.”