Sentinel raps Tories for absenteeism

A detailed article in the Sentinel on Tuesday (10/2/09) entitled Row
over councillors missing meetings turned the spotlight on two other Conservative councillors who were failing to attend Council and committee meetings but still drawing their allowances.

The revelations come following the publication of the first Lib Dem by-election leaflet which highlighted the minimal attendance of the outgoing Tory councillor. In the leaflet Lib Dem group leader Robin Studd said, “She is not the only Tory councillor to be drawing an allowance for little or no work.”

The Sentinel followed this up, obtained the Council records and identified the two other Tory absentees by name. The article also reported that, apart from one other Conservative councillor who had been unwell, all other councillors had at least a 50% attendance record and several had a near perfect record.