A number of Public First stalwarts have been striving to obtain 5% of West Dorset’s residents’ signatures on a petition to trigger a referendum on the West Dorset District Council’s ‘Cabinet’ system, which currently allows the party with roughly 42% of the votes to hold 100% of the decision making. A committee system, with representation of all parties, would surely make the process more accountable.

In our recent foray into Sherborne, only six of 153 people surveyed wanted to retain the current system. Many spoke passionately about ‘breathing democracy’ into local government, and getting rid of the secrecy that currently rules the local roost. Opinions in the town reflected our experience in Dorchester, Bridport, Lyme Regis and surrounds.

Our goal at Public First is to inject a little Athenian democracy into the moribund local system – to inform the people of Dorset about the machinations of local politics, and open it up to reflect true public opinion. Won’t you help? Print off a petition form from www.publicfirstgroup.co.uk, ask your friends to sign it, and send it to us.

Let’s make all this talk about political change really mean something.

Clive Stafford Smith

Chairman, Public First Group