Councillor Hits Back at Criticism Over Meeting Attendance

A COUNCILLOR has hit out at comments that attendance at meetings “needs to improve”. 
Elizabeth Haynes, a Torfaen Borough councillor, said it should be recognised councillors, who are paid a basic salary of £18,666 a year, have a number of meetings and events to attend and some also have other employment. 
She made her comments after the independent chairman of the council’s ethics and standards committee Richard Guest criticised attendance in his annual report to the council. 
Mr Guest is appointed to chair the committee that includes three other unelected independent members, three borough councillors and one representative from the area’s community councils. 
The report, presented to the full council’s September meeting, stated it recognised sometimes sickness or family and work commitments mean councillors miss meeting but warned: “There are a few committees where attendance needs to improve.” 
The council also has a policy that allows councillors to attend meetings via video links and Mr Guest said in his report: “I also wrote to all members to reinforce the guidance and to highlight the importance of attendance at meetings.” 
Labour councillor for Llanyrafon, David Williams told the meeting: “I’m concerned at the drop in attendance and echo what the chair of standards has said.” 
Mr Guest’s report stated attendance covered full council meetings, committee meetings, seminars where councillors discuss particular topics in an informal setting and training sessions. It was also noted changes in the political balance of the council resulted in changes to committee membership that impacted attendance figures.  
The standards committee requested future reports include a breakdown of the number of meetings members were expected to attend against the number actually attended. 
Independent Group councillor Elizabeth Haynes said she didn’t think anyone missed meetings “as they didn’t feel like it” and “backbench” councillors, who aren’t part of the eight member cabinet, are considered to hold a part time role.
The Cwmbran St Dials councillor said councillors have “busy diaries” and she she also holds five ward surgeries and said “sometimes diaries clash”. 
She said she was unhappy at the focus on attenance and said: “Can we just put a stop to it? I’m starting to get fed up of it.” 
The standards committee’s most recent meetings was presented with attendance figures that showed Independent Group councillor Chris Tew had attended just over 20 per cent, or eight of 35 committee meetings, from May 2023 to May 2024 and Labour’s Sue Malson had made 10 of 22 meetings in the same period, an attendance figure below 50 per cent. 
Cllr Haynes had attended 22 of 27 meetings which was above 80 per cent slightly below Cllr David Williams’ attendance figure. He had attended 35 of 42 meetings. 
No councillors had missed more than two of the nine meetings of the full council held during the municipal year. 
Councillors Tew, Malson, Ron Burnett (independent), Jason O’Connel (formerly independent now Reform) and Labour’s Nicholas Simons and Liam Cowles were the only six who failed to attend any of the 29 Monday afternoon seminars. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​