There were scenes of amazement as North Tyneside’s Tory Mayor Linda Akley chose to snub her own council meeting to attend a Conservative Federation political fundraiser.

PRESS RELEASE

Mayor snubs her own Council Meeting

‘Mayor is failing the leadership test’ – Jim Allan

There were scenes of amazement as North Tyneside’s Tory Mayor Linda Akley chose to snub her own council meeting to attend a Conservative Federation political fundraiser.

The Mayor who earns over £61,000 per year and her entire Cabinet and Conservative group of twelve councillors failed to show for last night’s Council (21 March 2013) meeting which was due to agree the council’s pay policy and the new Health and Wellbeing  Board which will be responsible for over £10m of NHS and council spending.

Now the Mayor faces calls for her to ‘explain and apologise’ why she led the whole Conservative group in the council into, what is being described as a ‘dereliction of duty’ before she faces election on 2 May.

Labour group leader Jim Allan said

‘In the first time in the history of this council, a Mayor and her entire political group have snubbed their own meeting. Tonight’s pay policy and the establishment of the Health and Wellbeing Board are her own policies and she’s deserted her post. The Mayor and her Cabinet are paid collectively over £120,000 to make decisions and she’s decided to put her own party political aims above the needs of the residents of this Borough and the priorities of the council’.  

See Photograph of empty conservative seats in the full council meeting.

There were scenes of amazement as North Tyneside’s Tory Mayor Linda Akley chose to snub her own council meeting to attend a Conservative Federation political fundraiser.