...let's see what the Conservatives are made of. Spotlight is on them now.

The South East Regional Assembly is made up as follows:

At 5th November 2004 SEERA has 111 members of whom there are:
47 Conservatives representing 70% of members
14 Lib Dems
6 Labour

The rest are from NGOs who have absolutely no legitimacy from a democratic point of view and whose presence can be discounted.
Therefore it is patently clear that if 70% of elected members (Conservatives) pulled out then the little legitimate basis (which in fact is zero) for the assembly would colllapse completely.

If they attempted to carry on their would be uproar and Councils that did enact directives (or whatever it is they call them) across the region would be subject to court action.I cannot see any risk of missing Conservative Councils missing out by not being there. This is perhaps a chance not to be missed.There is no fear of Lib/den or Labour stepping in to take the seats because they would not be entitled to do so.

SEERA Constitution
Para 5
Membership
5.1
The Assembly shall comprise 111 members representing the region's local authorities and social, environmental and economic partners.
5.2
Assembly members will be determined by their nominating bodies, i.e. for local government Members, their local authorities, and for social, environmental and economic partners, their sector-based regional groupings or networks.
5.3
It will not be possible for an individual to be simultaneously both a member, or alternate member, of the Assembly and a member of the Board of SEEDA.
5.4
Elected councillors will not be eligible to represent social environmental and economic partners in the Assembly.
5.5
While Assembly members will be working together for the interests of the region, they will sit in the Assembly as representatives of their local authority or, in the case of social, environmental and economic partners, of their regional organisation or network. Accordingly, members of the Assembly will be expected to be individually accountable to their nominating constituency.
5.6
All nominating bodies must ensure that the processes through which they choose their nominees to the Assembly must be fair, open and transparent. In the case of social environmental and economic partners, each Assembly member must be able to demonstrate their accountability to a clear and distinct constituency in the region.
5.7
Both the local authorities and the social, environmental and economic partners shall endeavour to achieve an appropriate gender and ethnic minority balance in their membership and to secure appropriate opportunities for those with disabilities to be represented within the Assembly.
5.8
Each principal local authority in the GOSE area will be entitled to one seat in the Assembly, making a total of 74 seats.
5.9
Town and parish councils will be allocated three seats, on a region-wide basis.
5.10
Social, environmental and economic partners in the region 'having an interest in the work of the RDA' will be allocated a total of 34 seats;
these will cover, inter alia:
o The voluntary and community sector
o Business organisationso Environmental interests
o Economic partnershipso Higher educationo Further education
o Trades unionso Culture, sports, arts, tourism
o Healtho Rural interestsThe allocation of seats among these sectors will be determined by the ExecutiveCommittee, and subject to periodic review.

At 5th November 2004 of the 111 members there are:
47 Conservatives representing 70% of members
14 Lib Dems
6 Labour

Dave Barnby