Borough council's 'absentee' members'

[dutchman]

Three councillors were absent from more than half of the meetings they should have attended during the last borough council year.



The shock figures were revealed by Cllr Dennis Harvey, leader of the ruling Labour Group, at a meeting of the full council at the Town Hall.

In a question from members session, Cllr Roma Taylor asked about members’ attendance records.

She particularly wanted to know how many had missed at least 50 per cent of full council meetings.

Cllr Harvey said that Andrew Burtenshaw, the Conservative member for Arbury, Peter Gilbert (Attleborough) and Independent John Ison, who represents Slough Ward in Bedworth, were the leading absentees.

The council leader said: “If we take into account all meetings of the council and its committees, all three councillors missed more than 50 per cent of the total number of meetings that they should have attended and that one of them, Cllr Ison, attended only 12 per cent.’’

He said that Cllr Burtenshaw attended 42 per cent of full council meetings during 2011/12.

Cllr Ison attended 29 per cent of full council meetings and Cllr Gilbert attended only 14 per per cent.

Cllr Gilbert, a Bulkington publican, was leader of the Conservative opposition group in the Council Chamber.

He succeeded Marcus Jones, who became the Nuneaton’s MP, before he handed over the reins to Des O’Brien.

Cllr Gilbert is not due to stand for reelection for another two years, but Cllr Burtenshaw has decided to stand down.

He is not standing in the borough council elections next Thursday when Richard Smith will be seeking to retain his Arbury seat for the Conservatives.

Former mayor Don Navarro is the Labour candidate while Charles Wright is contesting the ward for the Green Party.

Don Navarro was the sitting councillor for Exhall, but is attempting to swap wards.

Cllr Ison, who left the Conservative Party, briefly joined Labour and is now an Independent.

He will be attempting to hold on to his Slough Ward seat in what promises to be a hotly contested four-cornered fight.

His opponents will be British National Party candidate Jayne Fleming, Dianne Fowler for the Labour Party and Steve Paxton, who represents the Conservative Party.