Councillor attendance records in spotlight

Two Labour councillors missed nearly half of the council meetings they were expected to attend over the last four years, it can be revealed.

As voters headed to the polls this week to elect a new batch of councillors to represent them for the next four years, an analysis of recorded attendances since May 2018 found that on average councillors from all parties had missed one in five civic centre meetings.

The lowest attendance record of any councillor was Liberal Democrat Justin Hinchcliffe, who had a 33% record, but he explained that he had spent a long period dealing with health problems and was given a “leave of absence” dispensation by the council. He told HCP he was “back to full health now” and added: “My attendance for the last six months is at 75%.”

Two Labour councillors, who did not respond to a request for comment to explain their low attendances, managed to get to just over half of meetings since 2018. Stroud Green councillor Daniel Stone attended 54% of council meetings he was expected to go to, while Tottenham Green councillor Preston Tabois clocked up a 53% record. Neither councillor was standing for re-election on 5th May.

Labour councillors overall did have a higher average attendance, of 82%, while the Lib Dems managed 77%.

Only one current Labour cabinet member, Julie Davies, scored below the average attendance, with a 79% record.

The crown for the most reliable of Haringey’s 57 councillors since the 2018 election, however, goes to Crouch End’s Lib Dem representative Tammy Palmer, who managed to attend every single meeting she was expected to attend over the last four years – 81 in total.

Cllr Palmer decided not to stand for re-election because she is moving away from Haringey, but she told HCP: “I know there are some councillors who have had unexpected illness and Covid-19 had an impact on that, but I have been lucky with having good health and a very supportive partner who helps with childcare, so it’s a stroke of good fortune really.

“My work is also quite flexible and I am able to leave early if I need to, but others don’t have that same flexibility, so I think it is something the council needs to be better at [to be more accommodating].”

Asked why she felt it was important for councillors to attend as many meetings as they could, Cllr Palmer said: “It is a commitment you make when you become a councillor. I have been on a scrutiny panel where everything we discuss is of critical importance to children and young people – you have a duty of care to attend those meetings.”

All Haringey councillors are paid a basic allowance of £11,026, although those with special responsibilities, such as cabinet members and committee chairs, receive more.

The attendance percentage data in this article was compiled by HCP using publicly available council records.