Opponents want twice-a-year politician out

BY JAMES MONCUR j.moncur@dailyrecord.co.uk A SCOTS councillor who lives 400 miles from his constituency has been told to “do the decent thing” and quit.

Donald Adey, of Cupar, Fife, represents the Cambridgeshire village of Trumpington on the local county and city councils.

It’s a seven-hour drive from his home to his constituency but he only has to turn up to meetings every six months to claim £4500 in annual allowances from the city council and more than £10,000 from the county council.

Adey’s councillor colleagues have pledged to form an “all-party coalition” to force him out by bringing in legislation dubbed “Disappearing Donald’s law”.

The Scot has said he will stand down from his city council role next month. But in a plea to Adey, Cambridge City Council leader Lewis Herbert said: “Do the only decent thing you can do and resign both posts. Otherwise, you leave Trumpington without proper representation on the county council for more than two years and pocket another £20,000 that could be spent on protecting services under threat.”

The Scot, who has a poor attendance record at meetings, was the only one of 61 county councillors not to give up 1.2 per cent of his pay in solidarity with local authority workers who had the cut imposed on them.

Adey, who stands as an independent councillor, moved back to Scotland from England last year.

He said the distance from his constituency didn’t affect his ability to do his job.

He added: “There are many councillors who do not live in their constituencies who are extremely effective.

“I would say I am far more productive than a number of my colleagues in England.”