Welcome to the jungle

Dec 17 2007 by Larry Neild, Liverpool Daily Post

WHEN I started my career as a cub reporter, heading off to the local town hall was an awesome experience.

The elder statesmen of the council chamber – the aldermen – wore formal dress suits and bow ties, and the councillors had to be rigged out in sober lounge suits.

To enter the press bench, reporters had to wear a white shirt, a tie and a dark suit. We are talking here about Widnes, not exactly the world centre of political correctness.

How times change. Now we hear that the standard of behaviour in Liverpool Town Hall during city council meetings is said to be worse than in a fledgling eastern European democracy.

I have attended hundreds of city council meetings over the years, and my view of civic life from the front row is that it can be pure theatre.

The greatest free show in town is how I have described some meetings. I have seen councillors race to the front in anger and wave the ceremonial mace around.

At the height of the Militant era in the 1980s, it seemed that donkey jackets and sloppy jumpers were the fashion choice among the ruling Comrades.

The bickering and cat-calling is constant, but isn't it just the same at Prime Minister’s Question Time in the Commons?

Passions do run high at times, and councillors get carried away with their emotions – and, yes, the standard at times does make you cringe with embarrassment.

I much prefer the scene in Liverpool Town Hall compared to one local council I covered where every member was Labour, there was no debate about anything and the entire business was rubber- stamped in a matter of minutes. That really was democracy in non-action.

The problem with politicians is when they reach their allocated seats in the council chamber, the gloves come off and it becomes a boxing ring.

It is all about scoring points and winning.

The observers in the public gallery must be left bewildered. The spotlight, more than ever, is on Liverpool and, whether we like it or not, people will judge our city by the conduct and behaviour of the civic leaders tasked with running the show.

It is not as though good conduct is impossible. On the few occasions when the political parties join forces to make a united stand, they are a credible and impressive force. Then they go and spoil it by moving on to the next debate and the warring resumes.

There are times when I have walked out of Liverpool Town Hall thinking that people are paying high prices in the Playhouse or the Empire, when here they could watch drama in action, with our councillors playing themselves in a Brian Rix-type of farcical comedy.

And often they are playing to the gallery, because as soon as the lights fade and the mace is stored away until next time, the politicians put their differences to one side.

There has to be a funny side to politics, but at times it is far too funny for comfort.