Can he really represent us?

11:00am Wednesday 2nd February 2005

A COUNCILLOR who has turned up to just six meetings in two years has rejected calls to resign.

Neil Semple moved to Glasgow to work in April 2003 and has the worst attendance record in the council.

Now opposition members are calling for him to make way for someone else to represent the people effectively.

Since January 2003 he has attended just five out of 16 full council meetings and a "disgraceful" one out of 38 committee meetings and not a single one for the planning committee.

And in the 12 months from January 2004 he attended a total of just three meetings at Lewisham Council, at one point going nearly six months without attending.

When he left he had the support of Labour group leader Councillor Gavin Moore and claimed he would continue to fulfil his commitments.

Now Councillor Mark Morris, leader of the Liberal Democrats, is demanding Cllr Semple resign, give up his £8,000 a year allowance and call a by-election.

He said: "How can he represent Lee Green with such a disgraceful attendance record?

"He has been claiming allowances for two years despite having moved away and needs to consider paying it back.

"He is failing in his basic duties and it's only the arrogance of the Labour party which has maintained this absolutely shocking situation."

Cllr Morris claims he has seen up to eight weeks of Cllr Semple's official correspondence uncollected at the town hall and has questioned how he can understand residents' concerns when he lives 400 miles away.

Residents in the councillor's ward feel they are not being represented as well as possible.

Anna Baker, co-chairman of community group Friends and Users of Staplehurst Road Shops (FUSS), said: "I've tried to lobby Neil over the closure of Ladywell pool: he told me he'd turn up for the meeting but I didn't see him. It's disgraceful."

Social Party councillor Chris Flood agreed Cllr Semple should resign and added that with the council's recent decision to vote itself pensions, this made the issue of accountability even more important.

He said: "I also want every decision made on the planning committees he did not turn up for re-examined: his absence may have seen controversial plans passed."

Cllr Semple, who refuses to resign, said: "I've been doing case work and still do surgeries.

"It's not possible in my situation for me to attend as many meetings as I would like but I've tried to carry out my obligations as best I can."

When challenged on his poor attendance he said this and his future was a matter for the Labour group.