BOLTON councillors are to become more accountable for the decisions they make.

They unanimously supported a motion from Cllr Nick Peel proposing that all votes taken by committees should be 'named' at last week's meeting of the full council.

At present votes are made by a 'show of hands', unless at least five councillors demand a named vote.

But once the new policy is in place, constituents will be able to see how their ward councillor has voted on their behalf.

Cllr Peel, cabinet member for the environment, says the move will bring 'transparency and accountability' to town hall decision making.

He said: "Any person in any part of Bolton can go online and see how their MP votes, but no one in Bolton can see how their councillor votes.

"We now have the technology in place for us to vote electronically in this chamber and I envisage after each motion some kind of result.

"It would expand the principal of accountability and transparency in this council.

"Most people do accept that this council is open and transparent, but we don't help ourselves, because we don't appear to be open and transparent."

He told the chamber it was particularly important for full council and planning committee votes, but their may have to be exceptions for some 'confidential and sensitive' issues.

He added: "By having all votes named we can only, as members, become more visible."

The proposal garnered cross party support in the chamber.

Sean Hornby, UKIP group leader, said: "We fully support this motion. Transparency in this chamber is vital. Anything that lets the public know what's happening has to be in the interests of democracy."

And Conservative councillor Zoe Kirk-Robinson also spoke in favour of the proposal. She said she believed that people would 'stop attacking' councillors so much if they could see how they had voted.

She continued: "I'm in favour of increasing accountability. I agree with Cllr Peel, you can look at how an MP has voted, but not how a councillor has voted. How do you know if that councillor is doing what you have voted them in to do? It's a fundamental part of democracy that councillors should for those that have elected them and we should take this opportunity to sort this out once and for all."

Cllr Peel clarified that, once the proposal had been implemented by a Policy Development Group (PDG) it would be enshrined in the constitution of the council and replace and previous 'informal agreements'.