Bid to secure funding for under-threat Portsmouth stroke service foiled by 'technicality' over council rules

The two Labour motions, which would have asked councillors to support five-year funding settlements for the Stroke Recovery Service and Portsmouth Pride, had been signed-off by council officers before being added to the meeting agenda. But councillor Simon Bosher, the leader of the Conservative group, cited the council’s standing orders – or rules – that state that ‘no motion or amendment which would have a financial effect on the council may be moved unless it specifies the source of funding,’ preventing any debate on them.

Raising a point of order before the motion was discussed, Cllr Bosher said the commitment proposed as part of the motion was ‘unprecedented’. He was backed by the city solicitor, Peter Baulf, who said it was ‘absolutely clear’ that the proposal could not be debated.

Explaining his decision to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cllr Bosher said ignoring the rule would have ‘opened Pandora’s box’.

‘We all support the principle of this but we don’t have a five-year funding settlement as a council so it would be irresponsible to make such a commitment,’ he said.

Labour councillor Graham Heaney, who was due to propose the Stroke Recovery Service motion, requested that the council temporarily suspend its standing orders and said there was ‘a good reason’ for the discussion to take place.

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At the start of the meeting councillors were warned by stroke survivor Marie Cleaver that the closure of the Stroke Association-run service, which only has funding until December, would have a ‘catastrophic’ effect.

‘There are no other services that provide this type of support for stroke survivors locally,’ she said. ‘This provided unparalleled support to complement the physical side of recovery which is obviously helped by the NHS.’

Her petition calling on the council to continue funding the service has been signed almost 1,300 times and has been backed by Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan.

A letter was also sent to each city councillor last week from Garry Jopling, the Stroke Association’s regional service delivery lead, urging them to support the motion.

Councillor Charlotte Gerada, the leader of the Labour group and the planned seconder of Cllr Heaner’s motion, said it was ‘very disappointing’ that the debate had been blocked.

‘This is a really important matter and we all heard the strength of feeling from the passionate speeches made at the start of the meeting,’ she said. ‘We were willing to amend the motion to get it through but now we won’t be able to bring it back until October.’

‘Cllr Bosher didn’t have to do that,’ Cllr Heaney added, saying he would look to raise the issue through other council channels.