Twelve Councillors are up for re-election this year in Hartlepool, with some managing 100% attendance to every council meeting........... with others sadly managing to gain their Hide & Seek champion badge.
8th feb 2023 07:37am
Councillors with the best & worst attendance records are being revealed as Hartlepool now sees local council elections set to be held in just 12 weeks’ time in what’s been claimed to be a set of elections that could shake up the current conservative independent coalition & cause significant political upheaval if the opposition Labour Group manages significant election gains.
Twelve local councillors will this year be standing for re-election after yet another year of Council Tax increases & cuts to local services that many claim is simply “the final straw”, with the public now looking towards councillors who have failed to put in a good attendance record as the ones who will most likely be ousted for more favourable candidates in May’s local elections.
Labour Councillor Ged Hall has notched up an impressive 100% attendance record with only one Conservative councillor matching it
Councillors who’ve managed to clock in 100% attendance records & earn their £8,330 a year basic allowances are sadly few in number, however Labours Ged Hall representing the towns Burn Valley as well as Conservatives Angela Falconer representing the Fens & Greatham Ward all managed to achieve an impeccable attendance record & are both up for election in their respective wards in May.
Conservative councillor & Deputy Leader of HBC racked up a pretty "poor" attendance record
Others however didn’t fare so good, with HBC’s deputy Leader Mike Young managing a “poor” level of attendance record that’s on par with Independents Rob Cook, this is despite Cllr Young holding the deputy leadership of the authority.
Whilst attendance records for this year do seem to be an “improvement” on the previous years, its claimed that many members of the public will see this as one of the deciding factors in this year’s elections, with very much the perception made by numerous members of the public that councillors for Hartlepool are still only seen at election times & after that they seem to just fade away into the distance until their terms are up where they again crawl out of the woodwork looking for peoples votes.
The attendance figures up to the 5th Feb 2023 were as following….
Councilors attendances at meetings is "improving", but much imprvement is needed say some who claim the lackof attendance is further damaging public confidence in the local council .
Indepenent Councillor Rob Cook for the towns Hart ward & Conservatives Mike Young representing the towns Rural West all shared the bottom spot for the worst attendance record so far missing eight meetings each followed closely behind Conservatives Kevin Tiplady & Labour group leader Brenda Harrison both missing five meetings each .
Only two councillors managed a 100% attendance record as stated previously with Labours Ged Hall & Conservatives Angela Falconer racking up a 100% attendance record.
All councillors stated on the table of attendance are all up for re-election in Mays local elections
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