A CAMPAIGN to kick party politics into touch in West Somerset was launched this week by activists pushing for independence to be the byword after next May's local council elections. Liberal Democrat Peter Humber, who represents Withycombe and Carhampton on the currently Tory-controlled West Somerset Council, is calling for cross-party support for the authority to have an unwhipped ruling cabinet in the future. And Dulverton Cllr Keith Ross, who heads the council's Independent group, said he believed strongly that the council should be non-partisan, with cabinet members chosen for their talents rather than their political persuasion. Cllr Ross said the make-up of the cabinet - responsible for key decisions and having significant power - did not have to be proportional to reflect the political representation of councillors. "What I believe passionately is that we should have the right person for the right job and not be relying on the controlling party to supply the portfolio holders. "We should have more consensus." The current cabinet has two non-Tories - Cllr Ross and Labour's Eddie May. But Cllr Ross said too often in the past the views of the minority members were ignored, with decisions effectively being made at political group meetings prior to cabinet meetings. Party politics have only played a role in West Somerset at district council level since 1999 but critics cite the authority's lack of real achievement over the past seven years as one of the reasons it should be booted out. Cllr Humber, a Liberal for more than 40 years, said he believed he was probably the longest serving member of a political party on the council and had also probably worked in more campaigns from 1974 onwards than any other sitting member. This, he said, put him in a strong position to give an open invitation to all prospective candidates for next year's elections to support the concept of an unwhipped cabinet of all talents. Being unwhipped would allow individual cabinet holders to master their portfolios and lead their officers to provide genuine debate and discussion. "The record of the council from May 2004 would suggest that the 2007 election requires willing and able candidates to stand to support this concept, regardless of political party and persuasion," said Cllr Humber. "For the district council to survive and thrive it requires councillors of intelligence, integrity and independence, committed to be elected who ideally should live in the wards they represent." Cllr Humber said the idea already had the support of many sitting councillors, including Independents, Labour and Liberal Democrats - although not, apparently, any Tories as yet. However, Cllr Humber said it was the Tories who had introduced party politics immediately following the 1999 elections when former leader Cllr Steven Pugsley and Geoff Day, who later lost his seat, 'crossed the floor' to become Tories after standing on an Independent ticket. The idea of a non-aligned council has also won the backing of Cllr Simon Stokes, a former cabinet member who resigned his position partly because of his frustration with the existing system. "Less and less people are prepared to serve on the cabinet because they know the decisions are made by the Tories in private before cabinet and full council meetings," said Cllr Stokes. "You only have to look at the lack of achievement since we became a political authority. "We've had lots of discussions about issues and many things that have failed to come to fruition but very little actual achievement. "We should not have national politics at a local level. Our cabinet should consist of people with talent and strategic vision rather than simply members of the 'old guard' who need to be pacified. "At the moment it appears the cabinet is made up of anyone who will accept a portfolio." Campaign leaders say prospective candidates have, in reality, around eight months to commit themselves, prepare a manifesto, plan their campaign and work their targeted wards.