With their average attendance for meetings they were expected to attend, finishing for the year at 57%, the Labour Group Leader has criticised the Eastcott Ward Councillors for finishing with an average attendance of 57%. This compares with the Labour’s Group’s average attendance over the last Municipal Year at 92% and the Conservative Group’s average attendance at 88%.
With the end of the Municipal Year, statistics on Swindon Councillors attendance over the 2012/13 year can be found on the Swindon Council website.
With their average attendance for meetings they were expected to attend, finishing for the year at 57%, the Labour Group Leader has criticised the Eastcott Ward Councillors for finishing with an average attendance of 57%. This compares with the Labour’s Group’s average attendance over the last Municipal Year at 92% and the Conservative Group’s average attendance at 88%.
Eastcott Lib Dem Councillor, Dave Wood, also receives a Special Responsibility Allowance on top of £3,700 as Chair of the Children’s Overview Committee, on top of his basic councillors’ allowance.
The Labour Group Leader, Cllr Jim Grant, said:
“I think Eastcott residents will be appalled to find their councillors have such a low attendance record and I think they are being under-represented.
If they had a 57% average attendance in their day jobs, frankly their management wouldn’t put up with it. Why should they be treated any differently as local Councillors? They get paid an allowance to attend meetings to represent their local residents and nearly half of the meetings they’re expected to attend, they don’t.
I have seen first-hand at Full Council Meetings where if all of the Lib Dems had attended they may have been able to achieve meaningful outcomes, but they are regularly not there and the figures reflect this.
I accept that Cllr Nicky Sewell had been unwell for several months, but her attendance for the whole year was 41% and Cllr Dave Wood’s attendance this year has been 55%. These figures really aren’t good enough and I would expect that next year they will show more respect to their constituents and Swindon’s council-taxpayers.”