Did Plymouth leader have lengthy break?

Labour accuses Tory of having five weeks' off

The leader of Plymouth City Council has denied being absent from or cancelling meetings over the summer after he was accused of being away from the city for five weeks.

The Conservative council leader and member Southway, Richard Bingley faced questions from Labour group leader and councillor for Ham, Tudor Evans at a full council meeting on Friday 30 September.

Cllr Evans asked Cllr Bingley: “Could you give us a rundown of how many council meetings you attended during your five-week absence from the city this summer?”

Cllr Bingley rebuffed the question and denied any suggestion he had been away for so long. 

“Unless you’ve been carrying out private surveillance against me, I was not absent from the city for five weeks this summer,” he said. 

Cllr Evans approached the questions again but in more detail.

“I’m assuming that means no meetings were cancelled. I will do an FOI [Freedom of Information Request],” he said.

“So, how many meetings have had to be cancelled and how many involve meetings with potential investors?”

Cllr Bingley responded even more emphatically and criticised Cllr Evans’ motive for pitching the question:  “I don’t know of any meetings that have had to be cancelled because I had a pre-arranged vacation and then a very, very short trip – two to three days. So, that was well logged in the diary. People scheduled meetings around that. 

“We all do need vacations and sometimes I take time away from Plymouth. So firstly, apologies if anyone feels they’ve been rescheduled.

“But secondly, absolutely not. I did not spend five weeks away from Plymouth and the inference that I did, I think, is a more sad indictment upon your personal politics than it is against my performance in my role.” 

The exchange was among a number of issues raised at the full council meeting.  Others included demanding more action to tackle violence against women and girls, street lighting in the city and questions about the national economy.