A by-election has been called for a town council ward – despite a plea from a mayor to avoid one.
On Thursday, February 4, voters in Emmbrook North will be asked to vote after the standing councillor – who was elected last May – had to stand down following a serious illness.
Liberal Democrat councillor Imogen Shepherd-Dubrey raised the absence of Sanjay Odedra at Wokingham Town Council’s December meeting where the town mayor, Cllr Philip Mirfin, said Mr Odedra was recovering from a triple bypass operation and had been unable to attend.
As a result of missing meetings due to ill-health, Mr Odedra was forced to stand down from the town council. Ten electors called for a by-election to be held, despite both the Liberal Democrats and the Independent councillors agreeing not to call for one.
The minutes of the Town Council meeting noted: “The Mayor … advised that he has held a meeting of all parties of the Council where the Liberal Democrat Councillor agreed that her party would not call an election, but if one were called they would fight for the seat and the Independent Councillors agreed that they would notify their similar minded colleagues of the loss of a councillor as a result of an administrative error following a very serious illness and operation. The Mayor hoped that all members would continue to work together to meet the needs of our residents and that no election would be called in this instance”.
Cllr Shepherd-DuBey said that Mr Odedra had been automatically disqualified as a councillor under UK law after failing to attend any council meetings for more than six months.
She added: “He and any member of the Conservative group had the option to request a dispensation not to attend meetings due to his ill-health, if he needed it, but this was not done.
“When the problem was initially discovered, on behalf of the Liberal Democrats, I agreed with the mayor that we would not call an election and would have been willing to support co-option. As far as I could see, the Independent Councillors were of the same thought.”
However, Wokingham Labour found 10 people who wanted a by-election to held and one will now take place next month.
In a letter to Emmbrook North residents, seen by The Wokingham Paper, the local Conservatives expressed their displeasure at the decision.
The letter read: “Sanjay could have been co-opted to continue as a councillor but two of the three opposition councillors objected to this although they were fully aware of Sanjay’s heart operation and consequent convalescence. Because of this, you will now be required to vote on February 4th in a by-election that will cost your Town Council £6,700.”
Andy Croy, spokesperson for Wokingham Labour, said they felt they it was important to call the by-election.
He told The Wokingham Paper: “No reason for the vacancy was given. Other councils state the reason for the vacancy, Wokingham Town Council did not.
“We should all be passionate about our right to vote and enthusiastic in our practice of democracy. Wokingham Labour does not do ‘a nod and a wink and jobs for the boys’, we do democracy.”
The leader of Wokingham Conservatives on Wokingham Town Council, Councillor Martin Bishop, told The Wokingham Paper: “Sanjay Odedra was elected in May with a very good majority and we very much hoped to Co-opt him back as a Conservative Town Councillor now that he has fully recovered.
“Under these circumstances I was disappointed that a by-election had been called by one of our opposition parties particularly having asked for restraint. This was not in the best interests of our residents, the cost to the Town Council for this by-election will be in the region of £7,000.
“This was not the right situation to play party politics.”
The candidates
As we went to press, three candidates had been chosen.
Sanjay Odedra (Conservatives)
Sanjay previously won the seat in 2015, although ill-health prevented him from carrying out some of his duties. He is an Emmbrook resident and owner of the Emmbrook Stores and Post Office.
Helen Belcher (Liberal Democrats)
Helen lives in Emmbrook with her family. She is a school governor for Emmbrook Secondary School and a member of Wokingham Choral Society. She runs her own computer software business.
Brent Lees (Labour)
An Emmbrook resident, Brent is an IT professional with four grown-up children. Brent has recently been campaigning in Wokingham as part of Labour’s campaign against the cuts in Working Tax credits.
