Dudley’s new mayor walked straight into a row after refusing to allow debate on changes to vital watchdog committees.

The Dudley Independent Group says Cllr Pete Lee, who had only been sworn in as mayor an hour previously at a meeting of the full council on May 15, blocked their bid to make amendments to who would be in charge of scrutiny panels for the next year.

Cllr Pete Lowe, leader of DIG, says he indicated he wanted to speak before councillors agreed who would chair four scrutiny and eight other committees but the mayor, who chairs full council meetings,  insisted he did not know and dismissed protests from the floor of the chamber.

Cllr Lowe said: “Just as people say Dudley Council meetings couldn’t get more surreal – they get more surreal.”

At the meeting a report containing the details of the committees was proposed and seconded by the council’s Conservative leaders and the mayor asked if the council agreed.

Councillors verbally said aye, or yes, and the report was passed however Cllr Lowe says he pressed a button on his microphone which indicated he wanted to speak, having earlier sought advice from council officers on how to present his amendment and being told that was a correct way to do it.

Cllr Lowe tried to have his say but council leader, Cllr Patrick Harley, pointed out the report had already been passed and could not be amended, telling Cllr Lowe he ‘should have pressed his button earlier’.

The mayor said he didn’t see that Cllr Lowe wanted to speak soon enough and added: “Sorry about that but that’s the way it was.”

After the meeting, Cllr Lowe said: “The advice was when the agenda item comes up press your button – pressing the button I did. Unfortunately that was ruled out of order and the mayor just closed the discussion down.

“It was a clear demonstration that what we call democracy is definitely not alive and well in Dudley.”

Cllr Lowe added councillors from across the political spectrum have told him they saw he had indicated he wanted to speak and he will be asking for the issue to be discussed and the report brought back to a later meeting for his amendments to be debated.

The DIG group found support from Liberal Democrat Cllr Andrew Tromans, who said: “I don’t think they were treated with due courtesy and process. 

“They should have been allowed to put forward their amendments as per council rules and what is right for local democracy.”

Unsurprisingly, Cllr Harley has a different view, he said: “The list of chairs and vice-chairs had been circulated for about a week, Cllr Lowe knows full well if he wants to make amendments to share them with other group leaders.

“If he was against agreeing with that as it was he could have said ‘no’ and called for a vote, at that time he could have made his speech and put his amendment forward.

“The process has been followed, the mayor said he didn’t see anyone indicating to speak.”