Labour's poor attendance at Council meetings
May 28, 2004 12:00 AM
Hounslow Liberal Democrat Councillors have entered the argument regarding committee attendances.
Cllr John Howliston, Bedfont, is deeply dismayed at Labour's appalling attendance at Council committees across the board. Cllr Howliston stated that the bad attendance record by some Labour councillors that has been reported in The Times (28th May) is a disgrace and is another damning indictment of Hounslow's Labour Members. However, their poor attitude towards their commitments is not only confined to Labour Councillors.
Liberal Democrat Cllr Linda Nakamura, Hanworth, highlighted the poor attendance record of Seema Malhotra, Labour's GLA candidate for South-West London at the forthcoming elections on 10th June. Cllr Nakamura said that Seema Malhotra was co-opted onto the Health & Social Care Panel in 2002 but attended only three meetings before resigning earlier this year. The Health & Social Care Scrutiny Panel has an important remit because it examines issues such as the reconfiguration of Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals as well as matters relating to Hounslow's Primary Care Trust and Social Services. This is a prime example of how members of the Labour party accept panel appointments and then fail in their duty to the public.
Another major attendance failing by the Labour group was at the Executive & Scrutiny Budget meetings commencing in September 2003. These meetings were held to scrutinise the Council's priorities for spending in the forthcoming year. Although there are 37 Labour Councillors, there were usually no more than half a dozen at any of these important meetings.
The arrogance of Labour knows no bounds, as demonstrated succinctly by Cllr Bobbie Wason, a member of the Labour Executive, who, when commenting on the political balance of the Police Consultative Group stated, "The make-up is as the group wishes it to remain." By what authority does Cllr Wason speak on behalf of the Metropolitan Police and other members of the PCG?
Labour's records make dismal reading, with some members having only deigned to attend 9 meetings in six months. Labour Cllr Bobbie Wason, an Executive member, has attended only 11 meetings in six months; this equates to a salary of approximately £700 per meeting, excluding expenses.
Liberal Democrat Councillors, in common with other Members on the Council do, on occasion, have to miss meetings due to other commitments or illness but still have an average attendance figure of 90%.
The excuses put forward by the Labour group are totally unacceptable. Cllr Wason's excuse that members of her family have an unfortunate habit of expiring on committee meeting nights is unfortunate but Councillor Edwards' excuse for a zero attendance of the PCG due to scheduled meetings of the Brentford & Isleworth area committee, is not borne out by the calendar, which clearly shows that there was not a conflict of dates.
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