The diversity credentials of North Yorkshire Council’s political leadership has been challenged after one of its youngest councillors was replaced on the authority’s controlling committee.
Council leader Carl Les defended his decision to remove 30-year-old councillor Keane Duncan from his role as executive member for highways and transportation after the decision was brought up at a full council meeting yesterday (Wednesday).
Cllr Duncan, who represents Norton, was replaced in a recent reshuffle of the Conservative-run council’s executive by Councillor Malcolm Taylor.
Commenting on the change, independent councillor for the Weaponness and Ramshill division, Rich Maw, said:
“I’m looking at the executive and I’m guessing that there are none under 50 and I can see three ladies there.
“An executive made up entirely of people over the age of 50, seven men three women.
“Does the leader seriously believe this line-up reflects the diversity, the lived experience, of the people in North Yorkshire?
“You said the appointments were about bringing in and preparing new talent.
“How does replacing someone with a person twice their age achieve that, even if it is a Tory?
“Isn’t this more of the same at a time when the council badly needs fresh perspective and broader representations?”
In response, Cllr Les, said it was “a bit rich getting a challenge on diversity from a middle-aged, white, Anglo-Saxon male”.
He added:
“I believe that my group is very diverse. In fact, I’m very proud of our diversity.
“We’ve got male, female, straight, gay, single, married, divorced, widowed and widowers, with or without children, we’ve got Eastern European connections, we’ve got Middle Eastern connections, and various other ethnic connections including Yorkshire. And we’ve got all age groups.
“It seems, like others, you’re obsessed with executive posts. Executive is only ten per cent of this council. Look at the other roles, look who’s filling them, scrutiny, area committee, champions.”
He added:
“You must never confuse age with ability or the lack of ability at either end of the spectrum. And gender should be no barrier to progression, neither should it be a high-speed lift.”
Cllr Les said it was his decision who to appoint and he always wanted to give others the opportunity to serve.
Cllr Duncan is understood to be the youngest Conservative councillor on the authority, and the second youngest councillor of all political groups.
Cllr Taylor, who represents the Huby and Tollerton division, confirmed to the Local Democracy Reporting Service that while he was reluctant to disclose his exact age, he had spent 36 years working with the police and five in the private sector, and was considerably older than Cllr Duncan.
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