'Meetings figures distort the truth' (From Warrington Guardian)

'Meetings figures distort the truth'

NEWTON councillors have hit back at figures which show poor attendance at meetings.

St Helens Council revealed some members only attended half of their obligatory council meetings, despite receiving an annual £6,000 allowance.

But all the councillors the Newton Guardian spoke to said the statistics gave a distorted picture because community-based work was not included.

Newton Mayor Leon McGuire, who missed two meetings, said: "The figures give a false impression. Looking at the bald facts, 17 meetings out of a whole year is no-where near what I do. It's assumed you do 20 hours a week, which is what the basis of the allowance is on, but in reality I do a great deal more than that."

Bottom of the list in terms of attendance were the three Newton East Liberal Democrat councillors, Clr Suzanne Knight, Clr Neil Taylor and Clr Peter Astbury.

Clr Knight, who attended 17 out of 32 meetings, blamed community commitments for her low score.

She said: "When the new cabinet system came into force the Labour Government promoted that model by saying it allowed councillors to go out in their wards working for local people, not stuck in the Town Hall endorsing decisions which have already been made.

"I regularly meet with local people, work with the neighbourhood police, attend governors' meetings in local schools, on one of which I am the chairman, arrange site visits in Newton with council officers to address local concerns, attend meetings with the Friends of Mesnes Park and sit on the management body of a local community centre."

She also said the figures were part of a political campaign by the leading Labour group.

"As usual when Labour haven't got anything useful to say they start to look for ways to attack the Liberal Democrats."