‘Where was the support?’: Disabled city councillor disqualified for not attending meetings

DISQUALIFIED: Sarah Harper-Riches

EXCLUSIVE

By Angus Young

A Hull politician has been disqualified from being a councillor after failing to attend a council meeting for six months.

Labour’s Sarah Harper-Riches’ absence was initially triggered by the birth of her first daughter. However, she has not been able to resume her normal council duties since because of health issues.

Legally, councillors cease to be a member of their authority if they fail to attend any meeting for six consecutive months from the last date of their attendance.

It means there will be a by-election in Bricknell ward later this year.

In a letter to residents, she said: “I am writing with the sad news that I have, through no choice of my own and due to outdated rules, been recalled as your councillor. Bricknell will now face a by-election.

“Those who have spoken to me on the doorstep or at one of the community events we have organised will know that being your ward councillor alongside Peter North fills me with deep joy and pride.

“More recently, I have been filled with pride for another reason, the birth of my first child, Willow. As a disabled woman with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME, I have followed the usual period of maternity leave with a process of gradually building up duties.

“Due to an exceptional flare-up of my disability, which has at times led to my husband having to take time off work to help me care for our child as I could not lift her, I have taken longer to begin attending formal council meetings, which tend to be very lengthy.

“An archaic rule means that after six months of not attending formal meetings, a councillor is disqualified. Had the council reached out, as they have in other parts of the country to people who may fall foul, I would have attended.

“I was extremely ill, I was not following this timer and the first contact I had from the council was to notify me of my disqualification.

“I am heartbroken that something so utterly avoidable has happened at a time of my life when all I needed a little more support to complete my return to representing the ward I love so much.

“I will fight to ensure change happens to make politics accessible to young families and disabled people. I will also continue to fight to ensure Pete North has a Labour ward colleague who will help them make positive community change in Bricknell. Because Bricknell and the people of Hull deserve it.”

Harper-Riches was first elected in the ward in May last year when she defeated long-serving sitting Conservative councillor John Fareham.

Polling 1,118 votes, she secured a decisive 52.7 per cent share of the vote to join Labour colleague Peter North to represent a ward which takes in residential neighbourhoods around Bricknell Avenue, Fairfax Avenue, National Avenue and Newland Park.

Until Councillor North’s victory in 2021, it had been a traditional Tory stronghold.

The by-election will test Labour’s resilience in the face of a likely strong challenge by the Liberal Democrats, the ruling party at the Guildhall.

The Lib Dems came a distant fourth in Bricknell last year, polling just 124 votes and finishing behind the Greens.

However, having increased their overall majority on the council in this May when there was no election in Bricknell ward, the Lib Dems are expected to throw considerable resources behind an attempt to win the seat off Labour this time around.

Similarly, the Conservatives will be looking to regain a foothold on the council by turning Bricknell – or at least part of it – blue once more.

Candidates are expected to be selected over the next few weeks. A date for the by-election has yet to be confirmed.

Councillor Hester Bridges, Deputy Leader of the Labour Group on Hull City Council, said: “Sarah is shocked and upset that this legislation has been triggered by the council when she was already beginning to return to duties and was so looking forward to fully returning to her role.

“She had so many plans with her ward colleague, Councillor Peter North, who she has worked with throughout this period of maternity leave. This is a terrible shame for the residents of Bricknell who elected Sarah in such overwhelming numbers in May 2022.”

“We are bitterly disappointed that this archaic legislation, passed in a bygone age, has been used to recall Sarah and deny residents a hard-working councillor.”