The main post will be a rolling count of meetings that Councillors have missed. Subsequent comments will explain the attendance of every meeting (along with other opinions about the attendance)
The Lib Dems do have a large majority in Council, so this may appear to be an(other) anti-LD post. I can reassure you that it is not
(note +, ` and ^ are known apologies, which are clarified after the table)
Rolling Tally - 2021 Meetings Missed
Name
Ward
Party
Total Count Missed
Percentage Missed
Jane Rich
Bursledon and Hound North
Lib Dem
4
100
Paul Bicknell +
Eastleigh South
Lib Dem
3
75
Jephthe Doguie `
Eastleigh Central
Lib Dem
3
75
Michelle Marsh ^
Fair Oak & Horton Heath
Lib Dem
3
75
Rob Rushton
Fair Oak & Horton Heath
Lib Dem
3
75
Daniel Clarke
Eastleigh North
Lib Dem
2
50
David Pragnell
Chandlers Ford
Lib Dem
2
50
Sara Tyson-Payne
Eastleigh North
Independent
2
50
Margaret Allingham
Hedge End South
Lib Dem
1
25
Tim Bearder
West End South
Lib Dem
1
25
Alan Broadhurst
Chandlers Ford
Lib Dem
1
25
Anne Buckley
Hiltingbury
Lib Dem
1
25
James Duguid
Hiltingbury
Lib Dem
1
25
Cynthia Garton
Hedge End South
Lib Dem
1
25
Richard Gomer
West End North
Lib Dem
1
25
Lucy Jurd
Hedge End North
Lib Dem
1
25
Dave Kinloch
Botley
Lib Dem
1
25
Rupert Kyrle
Botley
Lib Dem
1
25
Adam Manning
Hamble and Netley
Lib Dem
1
25
Last Updated - 27 Feb 2022, after the FC meeting on 24 February 2022 (last one before elections).
Full Council meetings held:
20 May 2021 - Annual General Meeting
27 May 2021
11 November 2021
24 February 2022
Known apologies:
Cllr Bicknell missed the AGM due to work commitments, and all other apologies from him are due to the same (as its shift work)
^ Cllr Marsh missed the AGM due to work commitments and the Council meeting on 27th May due to family commitments.
` Cllr Doguie vacated his seat, triggering a by-Election which was won by Cllr Bhavin Dedhia (LD)
Councillors are people too, itās okay if they miss the odd meeting. But in some cases, like Rob Rushton, Councillors appear to go AWOL and no explanation is ever made to the public. @DazzaRPD would be great if you could keep this up to date rolling forward.
I guess, much like in Paul Bicknellās case, sometimes work gets in the way. Keith House commented on FB to say that some Cllrs may be shielding due to not having the vaccine/being able to receive a vaccine.
Eastleigh Borough Council has decided Councillors who watch āFull Councilā on YouTube Thursday can be marked as in attendance, despite not voting or participating?! Donāt get me wrong not having 2metres between everyone is crazy & I understand people being worried, but no rollcall or way to prove seems laughable. At least when it was teams a roll call and each Councillor could be shown. Councils really need the ability to host virtual meetings officially or hybrid meetings. This is not good for democracy.
Seems like Eastleigh Borough Council is working around having an accurate attendance record!
@adam and @Sam4eastleigh , ignore previous. I see it now, and the response from @TParkEastleighN says āitās not us, its the team in Blueā :-
"This current Tory government made this terrible decision, the Local Government Association then challenged it in the High Court but sadly the judges ruled it wasnāt able to make a decision, saying it was a job for Parliament.
This is a highly hypocritical move by the government as theyāre still allowing some MPs to attend Commons sessions virtually.
Councillors across the country who for health reasons are having to shield still are being denied the ability to properly represent their residents.
I would hope that Paul Holmes MP will strongly lobby for this decision to be reversed, but that would mean going against his own party, something heās not yet doneā¦not even to secure continuation of Free School Meals in the Commons vote last October.
The council officers would have made the decisions on the specifics, probably after taking advice from the Local Government Association and/or legal advice.
Stop trying to dress this up as a political decision by the Lib Dems.
The council officers would have made the decisions on the specifics, probably after taking advice from the Local Government Association and/or legal advice.
Nothing political about it whatsoever to say otherwise is cynical point scoring at its worst.
@TParkEastleighN Iām sorry, are you kidding? āNothing political about itā. This is like the definition of politics isnāt it?
The art or science of government or governing, especially the governing of a political entity, such as a nation, and the administration and control of its internal and external affairs.
This decision was taken by the local Lib Dem led government @ Eastleigh Borough Council?
Are you suggesting it is right that Eastleigh Borough Council consider an elected councillor as āpresentā at a meeting based on them having said they have watched a YouTube video?
Will be interesting to see how this goes. If 9 Councillors didnāt attend the AGM (and only 2 had prior commitments) how many will actually want to go out in this lovely wet weather and go in?
Iāll Tally it regardless. Apparently its going to be made explicit that the Councillors were there via YT (and so automatically excluded from voting etc., but thatās a separate issue). So it might just mean a slight tweak to the table if itās as clear as that.
I did check with Officers that it was correct that councillors watching remotely would be recorded as āin attendanceā. The problem I have with this is that they can not participate or be formally signed in as present on YouTube. I fully understand councillors should feel safeā¦I am highly nervous having found out they canāt provide us with the 2m socially distance seating, especially with far more than 6 people in the room. However, that is a broader debate with government. I also do not mind if people can genuinely not attend. But, I do not understand why people are not just giving their apologies.
The arrangements that were sent out yesterday have now been clarified. Councillors that are unable to physically attend the Council meeting will be recorded as having sent apologies (provided they send them!). The information sent out yesterday was sent in error. Good to get this corrected and all councillors have been advised.
I have sent my apology for the meeting tomorrow as my child will be in hospital for surgery so that is where I will be. I have been sent a link so I can watch the meeting but will not be attending.
This wasnāt a decision by the LibDems, & no, public pressure had nothing to do with this. Nor was there any u-turn.
Council officers issued the guidance in error, this was queried by several councillors across party lines. And the correct guidance was issued the next day.
