Councillor hits out at "archaic rule" after being kicked off council for not attending meetings for six months

Frustration has been voiced over a decision by Hull City Council to recall a disabled councillor under the Local Government Act 1972 after she failed to attend any council meetings for six months.

Sarah Harper-Riches from Labour was elected to represent the city's Bricknell ward in May 2022. Harper-Riches, who suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and gave birth this year, has not attended a council meeting since January 2023.

She had remained active in her ward despite not attending meetings, according to the Labour Party.

As a result of her absence, the council said her seat has become vacant by virtue of Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972, which provides that if a member of the local authority fails throughout a period of six consecutive months from the date of their last attendance to attend any meeting of the authority, they shall, unless the failure was due to some reason approved by the authority before the expiry of that period, cease to be a member of the authority. 

A statement published to a Facebook page she shares with her fellow Bricknell ward councillor, Cllr Peter North, claimed the recall came "without warning or notice".

It added: "Sarah has remained active in Bricknell following the birth of her daughter, Wollow, in March. She has been attending community events and gathering casework in the ward, but has fallen foul of an archaic rule meaning recall can automatically be triggered should a councillor not attend a formal council meeting within six months unless they request an extension in advance.

"Had Sarah not been experiencing a significant flare-up of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME over the last month, she would have done so.

"While others in the country have been contacted by their respective councils if they were at risk of this rule impacting them, Hull City Council have not done this, instead only contacting Sarah to inform her of her disqualification."

In a statement, the council said: "Contact was made with Cllr Harper-Riches to advise her that the six months had passed since her last attendance at a Council meeting prior to the vacancy being made public."

The council added that an election to fill the vacancy will be held if two local government electors request that an election is held in accordance with Section 89(1)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

Adam Carey