At the Tuesday 27 January Full Meeting of the Council, the Lib Dem benches had empty seats as around 12 councillors were absent.
Full Council meetings occur just six times a year and are the only opportunities for all councillors to come together to address public concerns as political groups via members’ questions and to submit petitions on residents’ behalf. They are also the only chances for residents to ask questions of the ruling administration in public. In addition, the meetings are essential to approve changes to the constitution, senior staff appointments, reports from committees, and are the only opportunity to debate important topics.
In England, local councillors must attend at least one meeting of the authority within a consecutive six-month period to avoid automatically ceasing to be a member Some Lib Dem councillors in Richmond are clearly maximising this rule to their benefit. You can check the attendance record of your ward councillor on the Richmond Council website here: https://cabnet.richmond.gov.uk/mgUserAttendanceSummary.aspx.
Cllr Andrée Frieze, Leader of the Opposition Green Group, says: “It is shocking to see councillors failing to turn up to represent their residents. While some of these absences are down to illness, annual leave, caring responsibilities or bereavement, others are serial offenders who regularly miss meetings. At December’s Full Council meeting, eight Lib Dems didn’t come either.
“This is the problem when you have such a large domination by one political party. Some members become complacent and do the bare minimum for their residents.
“At the local elections in May, residents have the opportunity to vote in more hard-working Green councillors to represent them and their concerns, or put up with just another Lib Dem, who may not even bother to attend meetings on their behalf.”
Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Cllr Chas Warlow, says: “At a time when public trust in politicians is at its lowest, the casual way in which some members of this Lib Dem administration take their duties is very damaging to the public perception of democracy. Council Tax payers deserve much, much better from their councillors.”
