LABOUR DRIVE UP STANDARDS ON KENT COUNTY COUNCIL

The Conservative administration of Kent County Council caved in at yesterday's full council meeting and agreed to Kent Labour's demands for openness in the way Councillors make clear their declarations of business interests.

From next year Councillors' declarations of business interests will be available with Councillors' annual reports on the Council's website. The Council also agreed that the agendas for all Council meetings should contain an item which allows members of the public to be clear about which Councillors should withdraw from a meeting because of a conflict of interests.

Mike Eddy, Labour Leader of the Opposition on Kent County Council, says:

"The County Council is apparently the last Council in Kent to have adopted a special item on each agenda to allow Councillors to make clear that they have declared a conflict of interest. This will help Councillors of all parties and will increase public confidence in Kent County Council's decision-making."

Leslie Christie, Labour spokesman on Kent County Council's Standards Committee, says:

"Labour pressure for greater transparency over declarations of interests has now seen some real results. People in Margate or Sevenoaks will be able to find out what outside interests their representatives have without trekking across Kent to County Hall in Maidstone;"