The meeting primarily focused on procedural issues and the appointment of chairs and vice chairs for various committees. There was significant debate over a motion to defer the appointment of scrutiny chairs and vice chairs to a future meeting. The motion was eventually carried after a heated discussion.

1. Motion to Defer Appointment of Scrutiny Chairs and Vice Chairs: Councillor CUMMING proposed a motion to defer the appointment of scrutiny chairs and vice chairs to a reconvened annual meeting. This motion was debated extensively. Councillor Courtney and others argued against the motion, citing procedural concerns and the need for immediate appointments. Councillor CUMMING and his supporters argued that the current constitutional setup was not working and needed to be amended. The motion was eventually carried with 28 votes in favor and 19 against.

2. Debate on Procedural Issues: There was confusion and disagreement over the procedural rules, particularly regarding whether the motion to defer could be debated before being voted on. Councillor Aylin and others expressed frustration over the lack of clarity and the perceived railroading of the motion. The monitoring officer clarified that the motion was procedurally proper.

3. Personal Attacks and Accusations: The debate included several personal attacks and accusations. Councillor Nelson accused Councillor COWEN of wanting to ride roughshod over the constitution and described the situation as power and politics over principles and people. Councillor COWEN responded by accusing the opposition of using scrutiny to frustrate the council's work and stated that the new administration would fix the mess left by the previous one.

4. Appointments and Withdrawals: After the motion to defer was carried, the council moved on to appoint chairs and vice chairs for other committees. Councillor Cox, the leader of the opposition, withdrew all Conservative nominations for outside bodies, which simplified the appointment process.

5. Leader's Address: The new Leader of the Council, Councillor COWEN, addressed the council, outlining his vision for the administration. He emphasized the need for stability, financial prudence, and transparency. He also announced the scrapping of a cabinet post to save money and pledged not to close libraries, family centers, or dementia community support services.

6. Council Calendar: The council agreed on the calendar of meetings for the municipal year 2024-2025, with amendments to the start times for Cabinet and Development Control Committee meetings.

Overall, the meeting was marked by procedural wrangling, personal attacks, and a focus on the future direction of the council under the new administration.