Most Conservative councillors "complacent beyond belief" (Westminster and City of London Liberal Democrats)

Westminster and City of London Liberal Democrats <info@westminsterlibdems.org.uk>

Most Conservative councillors "complacent beyond belief"

September 22, 2006 7:59 PM

Westminster City Hall on Victoria Street London

Most Conservative councillors have no regular surgeries for local people

Well over half of Westminster's Conservative councillors hold no regular surgeries and have no drop-in times for residents who want to speak to them, according to an analysis of the Council website.

Of the 48 Conservative councillors, only 19 hold a monthly surgery for residents who need help or advice to drop in to see them. The other 29 do not, and residents have to track down their contact details and make their own arrangements.

Local Liberal Democrat Stuart Bonar said: "Westminster's Tory councillors have become complacent beyond belief. Even in a ward like Bayswater, where the Liberal Democrats could defeat the sitting Conservatives on a relatively small swing, the councillors simply do not hold any regular meetings for local people to drop in to see them.

"To their credit, Labour's councillors provide a regular weekly session for residents in their wards. Let me be non-partisan and say that as far as this part of a councillor's job goes they are doing it properly.

"And the Liberal Democrats in Bayswater ward held a public meeting for residents recently to talk with them about street repairs and traffic problems. The LibDems in that ward are continuing to pursue solutions to these problems, in liaison with local residents' groups."

Notes:

The analysis of the City of Westminster website was carried out on 22 September 2006.

The following councillors, according to the Council website, hold no regular surgeries for local residents; they are all Conservatives.

Ian Adams (Little Venice), Nicola Aiken (Warwick), Edward Argar (Warwick), Daniel Astaire (Regent's Park), Colin Barrow (Hyde Park), Pamela Batty (Hyde Park), Frances Blois (Knightsbridge and Belgravia), Michael Brahams (Bayswater), Melvyn Caplan (Little Venice), Danny Chalkley (Vincent Square), Brian Connell (Bayswater), Anthony Devenish (Knightsbridge and Belgravia), Margaret Doyle (Little Venice), Christabel Flight (Warwick), Kevin Gardner (Abbey Road), Gwyneth Hampson (Regent's Park), Louise Hyams (St James's), Tim Joiner (Regent's Park), Tim Michell (St James's), Cyril Nemeth (Abbey Road), Alexander Nicoll (St James's), Suhail Rahuja (Bayswater), Glenys Roberts (West End), Philippa Roe (Knightsbridge and Belgravia), Duncan Sandys (Vincent Square), Steven Summers (Vincent Square), Frixos Tombolis (West End), Judith Warner (Abbey Road), and Ian Wilder (West End).