Row as council man to lose seat
ACOUNCILLOR in Rochdale is set to lose his job after not attending a meeting at the authority for six months, sparking the need for an election in his ward.
North Middleton Councillor Peter Allonby, of the Middleton Independents Party, stepped back from his duties due to an ongoing period of ill health, forcing councillors to vote on Wednesday, December 13 on whether to grant an extension to his period of leave.
The motion at full council was voted down by the Labour group majority, igniting a row in the chamber over some of the comments made about Coun Allonby.
Labour Coun Tom Besford read a list which he said were social media posts made by Coun Allonby since July, which included photographs of a walking holiday in Norway, attending a curry night fundraiser, and running a stall at the Springhill Hospice Christmas fair.
Coun Daniel Meredith, cabinet member for housing and regeneration, said: “You can’t defend the indefensible.
“If someone’s been running around reporting all this on social media, then technically they’re committing fraud.”
Opposition councillors reacted furiously to the remarks.
Coun Winkler, deputy leader of Rochdale Conservative group, said: “I’m not going to stand by and watch this.
“That was the most disgusting onslaught of a man who is not here to defend himself, you should be ashamed of yourself.”
East Middleton Coun Paul Beswick, of the Middleton
Independents, told the chamber: “You’re just doing the man down for the sake of it.”
The issue of councillor absences is a controversial
one in Rochdale, with Labour Coun Sara Rowbotham from the same ward also currently away due to ill health, according to council reports.
Coun Rowbotham has not attended a meeting for more than a year, but she was granted an extension to her absence at the previous full council meeting in October. This was also the case in the full council meeting held on October 19, 2022.
Sources have told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that Coun Rowbotham will not be standing for re-election in May, and a candidate has already been chosen to stand in her seat.
However, the absent councillors are still due to receive their annual allowance of more than £11,000 per year paid to each member of Rochdale council.
The situation has left Labour Coun Elizabeth Atewologun as the only representative of the North Middleton ward.
Coun Allonby and Rowbotham were contacted for comment.