Both Mandy and Andy don't turn up to Council Meetings

The Council Meeting on 23rd February 2011 is an important meeting on the District Council calendar. St Neots stay away Conservative Councillor Mandy Thomas didn't turn up for this meeting. The "going to work hard for Eaton Socon" District Councillor is once again missing from a meeting. The last meeting at Council or Committee that Mandy attended was on 15th July 2010. Mandy is elected until May 2012.

What of Andy Monk, the other stay away Councillor for Ramsey. Andy is the other member of the UKIP group on HDC. His seat is up for election in May 2011. As with Mandy he was also absent.

This is a bit more of a revelation. Because if Andy Monk stood down it would do a couple of things. Firstly the UKIP group on HDC wouldn't be a group any longer and the leader Peter Reeve wouldn't be a minor leader any longer!

As can be seen in the current Members' Allowances Scheme Peter Reeve gets an extra £723 for being leader of a minor party. The scheme changes in May 2011 to a minor leader being only able to receive this allowance if the group has 5 members. If Andy resigned now and UKIP won the election Peter Reeve would be £60.25 a month lighter until 3rd May when Andy Monk 6 months runs out.

With all this money being wasted (plus any council own computers etc) on stay away councillors and extra benefits for another, obviously both the Conservatives and UKIP are very comfortable with paying people to do virtually nothing. Especially from the Conservatives who are cutting the staff and services.

Both Mandy and Andy should resign now and let their seats be fought at the elections on 5th May 2011. In the case of Mandy this is doing a big disservice to the people Mandy is supposed to represent. A stay away Councillor isn't fighting for their ward and is just a burden on the council taxpayer.

Or is this what the New Homes Bonus will be used in St Neots for? Propping up this stay away councillor!