OPPONENTS have claimed council plans to make the cabinet system more democratic do not go far enough.

Castle Point Council is set to announce reforms that will allow backbench councillors to ask questions at meetings of the cabinet committee.

The authority has come under pressure to make changes, as critics complain it is unfair the cabinet’s eight members make all decisions in the borough, while the other 33 councillors are excluded.

The changes will limit backbenchers to one question per agenda item.

They will also be allowed one supplementary question. Those wishing to speak must notify officers beforehand.

Long-term critic and campaigner Colin Letchford believes the current system does not give adequate representation to Canvey.

Ray Howard is the only cabinet member who represents an island ward, even though people living on Canvey make up about 50 per cent of the borough’s population.

Mr Letchford, who campaigned against the cabinet committee at last May’s council elections, said: “It doesn’t go far enough.

“I was hoping for a more democratic system which would allow representatives from other parties to sit in cabinet.

“That way the island could be better represented.”

“That’s the way they do it in Basildon, so why not Castle Point?”

Dave Blackwell, leader of the opposition Canvey Island Independent Party, said councillors should be free to ask as many questions as they like.

He added: “Why are they afraid to be democratic?

“Why can’t they let councillors come along and ask the questions they like?”

The council set up a cross-party working group to look into possible changes to the cabinet system last autumn.

However, the Canvey Island Independent Party councillors claimed they were not informed of the date of the last meeting, so they were not involved in drafting the proposals.

The council has said the councillors were informed of the date a week beforehand.

Jeffrey Stanley, deputy leader of the council, said: “The Canvey independents have a long history of not turning up to things.

“It’s for them to attend meetings, not to avoid them and then cry about it afterwards like spoilt schoolchildren.

“They should put the effort into turning up or they should get out.”