Middleton councillor to lose seat after not attending meetings for six months

A councillor in Middleton is set to lose his position for 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 last night (Wednesday 13 December) 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 Councillor Allonby.

Labour Councillor Tom Besford read a list which he said were social media posts made by Councillor 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.

Councillor Daniel Meredith, who has experience as a union representative in the NHS, argued that it would be difficult to defend someone unwell who was sharing updates about their activities on social media. He 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.

Councillor 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 councillor 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 councillor Sara Rowbotham from the same ward also currently away due to ill health, according to council reports.

Councillor 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 19 October 2022.

Sources have told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that Councillor 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 councillor Elizabeth Atewologun as the only active representative of the North Middleton ward.

Councillor Allonby and Rowbotham were contacted for comment.

Update 15/12/23
Since the motion at Rochdale Council on Wednesday 13 December, Councillor Allonby has attended a meeting, so has not gone past the six months non-attendance limit.

Declan Carey, Local Democracy Reporter