Buckinghamshire Councillor Meeting Attendance Data Now Public

Buckinghamshire Council shared councillor attendance data covering February 26, 2024, to February 10, 2025. This data doesn’t include meetings from this week. It shows how often councillors attended meetings they were expected to attend.

Several councillors had perfect attendance, including Adam Poland-Goodyer, Alan Turner, Imran Hussain, and Jonathan Waters. Julia Wassell, Majid Hussain, Mark Turner, Richard Newcombe, Robin Stuchbury, and Sarfaraz Khan Raja also had perfect attendance.

Stuart Wilson attended the most meetings, with 48, followed by Robin Stuchbury with 43. Phil Gomm attended 40 meetings, Richard Newcombe attended 38, and Tony Green attended 37. Local elections are approaching soon, scheduled for May 1.

Some councillors emphasized that meetings are only a portion of their responsibilities. They undertake substantial behind-the-scenes work for residents, encompassing emails, calls, and sub-committee work. These activities are not reflected in the attendance statistics.

Richard Newcombe stated that attending meetings is key. Emily Culverhouse, who works full time, indicated this sometimes makes attendance more challenging. Despite this, she affirmed her commitment to working diligently for her residents.

Emily Culverhouse has one of the lowest attendance rates, around 18 percent. Six councillors had attendance rates of 25 percent or lower. Jonathan Rush, who passed away in December, was among these six councillors.

Jane MacBean had a 25 percent attendance rate, and she ran for Parliament in Bishop Auckland, a seat geographically distant from Buckinghamshire. She stepped down from some council roles, stating other work is more important, like the processing of emails.

Jane MacBean clarified that her attendance figures do not fully represent her overall workload. She highlighted her intensive work during the election campaign, and noted her prior attendance rate was significantly higher at 86 percent.

Marcus Angell, Matt Knight, and Nick Naylor had low attendance rates for the period starting February 26, 2024. The circumstance surrounding Matt Knight’s absence may involve relocation. Nick Naylor’s reason was private, but known to the council.

The council approved a dispensation for Nick Naylor’s absence. Darren Hayday stated that Marcus Angell performs very little work. He suggested that he carries out Angell’s responsibilities.

Mark Turner acknowledged that missed meetings are understandable, as some councillors require time off. While some councillors exhibited low attendance, he underscored the importance of voters being informed about who demonstrates dedicated work ethic.

Julia Wassell organizes her holidays around scheduled meetings, reiterating that councillors are community leaders. They handle casework and campaigns. Similarly, Majid Hussain expressed his commitment to council work and schedules his holidays to accommodate meeting schedules.