Calls for Cambridgeshire county and city councillor living in Scotland to resign
Pressure is mounting on a Cambridge councillor to resign after it emerged he lives in Fife, more than 400 miles away from his Trumpington ward.
Cllr Donald Adey, who represents Trumpington, has resigned from the Liberal Democrats on both Cambridge City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council after it emerged he was living in Fife in Scotland.
The Lib Dems had been due to discuss withdrawing the whip from Cllr Adey at their annual general meeting, but Cllr Adey resigned before the discussions could take place.
While Cllr Adey is no longer part of the Lib Dems in Cambridge, he remains a councillor, and still keeps his seat as an independent.
Now, Cllr Adey is facing calls for his resignation as concern grows he could be unable to properly represent his ward and its people while living such a long way away.
Katie Thornburrow, Labour’s newly-elected city councillor for Trumpington ward, said Cllr Adey should step down as a councillor, saying the people of Trumpington needed someone who lived closer “than a plane ride away” to represent their needs at the council.
“People’s lives change and if Cllr Adey’s future is now in Scotland, I wish him well on a personal level,” said Cllr Thornburrow. “But the residents of Trumpington need councillors who don’t live a plane journey away and he should stand down and allow someone in the Cambridge community to take on the privilege of representing Trumpington on the City and the County councils.”
Cllr Lucy Nethsingha, Lib Dem leader on Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “We think he should resign as a councillor in Trumpington, but he is refusing. It is quite annoying.
“Our concern is that Donald Adey will be absent. I don’t expect he will be doing the job we’d expect representing the ward.”
In a joint statement issued by Cllr Nethsingha and her colleague Cllr Tim Bick, Lib Dem leader on Cambridge City Council, Cllr Adey is urged to resign to allow another candidate to take his place.
The statement reads: “We believe, therefore, that it is also appropriate for him to resign his seats on the two councils to enable residents to choose successors, but he disagrees.”
Cllr Adey has been contacted for comment.