Sunderland City Council promises to 'open the books' with new transparency ruling
Confidential and exempt information linked to historic Sunderland City Council decisions could be made public as part of a Reform UK-led drive to “open the books” and boost transparency.
The council’s ruling Reform UK group used Wednesday’s full council meeting to promise a review into whether information previously withheld from public access must remain private.
Where the basis for withholding information no longer applies, it would be placed into the public domain so residents, councillors and other interested parties can scrutinise historical records.
A motion voted on by all the city's councillors said: ”Openness and transparency are fundamental to public confidence in local government and that, wherever lawful, residents should be able to understand the evidence, advice, financial information and other material upon which significant decisions affecting Wearside were made”.
Reviews would consider reports prepared by or for the council and which have previously been withheld should be made public or if a “suitably redacted” version should be published instead.
The motion, which was proposed by Andrew Ramsey, Reform UK’s cabinet member for corporate services and local government efficiency, was eventually backed by all council political groups, including Labour, which was the local authority’s ruling party until earlier this year, and the Liberal Democrats, the council’s main opposition group.
He added the principle would apply to decisions made under previous, current and future administrations, calling it “the first step in a long road to a far more transparent Sunderland.”
Councillor Paul Edgeworth, leader of the Wearside Liberal Democrats, said there had previously been a council culture of decisions being “taken behind closed doors and in private instead of openly on the record”.
While noting that the Reform UK motion “doesn’t go far enough” in some areas, he added “any transparency is better than nothing.”
The motion states material will be published “on a rolling basis as individual disclosure assessments are completed, with an initial progress report presented within three months of commencement of the exercise.”
In a Facebook statement after the motion was passed, council leader Chris Eynon said “the books are being opened and the past will be scrutinised”.
He added: “Public money. Public decisions. Public accountability. Sunderland deserves answers. And we intend to get them.”