Tim Almond

From The Adver

A COUNCILLOR who has been sunning himself in Spain since the beginning of January and hasn’t attended a council meeting in seven months is still collecting his £7,429 allowance.

Coun Barrie Thompson (Lab, Parks) says he has no plans to give back the money, despite not being available to his ward residents while in Spain.

Our money well spent.

Conservatives have called for a by-election to be held, but the Labour Group says there is no need for this, as elections are being held in May.

So, it’s just fine for people in a ward to not have a councillor available for 3 months, but getting paid.

Coun Thompson, 70, who has been suffering with ill health, spoke to the Adver from his rented apartment in south west Spain.

He said: “I was intending to come back around now but my family say I’m looking much better and that the sun is doing me a lot of good.

I bet it is. Sunning it up while the people of Parks (many of whom are on low income) pay for it. If they’re ill, they’re expected to have the glorious NHS to look after them.

“I have been a community leader for 40 years, with 30 of those as an elected representative.

So what? Is that meant to be an acceptable reason for bumming cash from the people of Swindon? That because you’ve worked hard for 29 years, you can have some money for nothing for the last year? Being a councillor was never meant to be a living or a job. It was meant to be about people wanting to join in with civic life, and things like expenses were supposed to be about covering the costs they incurred doing it. It’s just become another trough for some, though.

On the subject of a by-election Labour leader Kevin Small said it would not be in the interest of taxpayers.

He said: “There is no secrecy about the fact that Barrie is going to resign.

“I would expect him to step down by around mid-March.

“We want to save the council taxpayers extra expense by not calling a by-election.”

Maybe that’s appropriate, but how about saving council taxpayers extra expense by not paying someone to live in Spain.

Tags: Politics, Swindon //