Brent councillor living in Brighton reveals resignation date
Revd. David Clues outside St. Mary's Church - Credit: Archant
A Brent councillor who refused to give up his seat despite moving 80 miles away is to step down in November - almost two years after leaving London.
Kierra Box hand delivers unanswered correspondence to Rev Cllr Clues' church - Credit: Archant
Cllr Rev David Clues has clung on to his Liberal Democrat seat in the Dudden Hill ward since relocating from St Mary’s Church in Neasden Lane to become the vicar of St Bartholomew’s Church in Brighton in December 2011.
He has ignored previous calls for his resignation after the Times exclusively revealed he had moved claiming he will still carry out his councillor duties.
The married father has managed to avoid trigging a by-election by attending one meeting every six months and is able to claim an annual allowance of £7,974 for being a councillor.
In June this year he publicly announced he would stand down after he was featured on a Channel 4’s Dispatches programme about council waste.
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However, he failed to give a concrete date until today.
Once he has stepped down the vacancy will remain until the council elections the following May leaving the ward with two councillors, Aslam Choudry and Krupesh Hirani, who represent Labour.
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A spokesman for Brent Lib Dems said: “David has been advised by Brent Council that if he steps down before November it will cost local taxpayers £25,000 to run the resultant by-election.
“He therefore intends to stand down in November so that the vacancy can be filled at the next scheduled round of elections.
“In the meantime he will continue to work with colleagues to deal with issues raised by local residents.”
Kierra Box, of Roundwood Road, Willesden, did a 160 mile round trip to Brighton to confront Cllr Clues after he failed to respond to her emails and phone calls in June but he was not at home.
She said: “I don’t understand how in any career it can take you 23 months to resign.
“It’s a ridiculous fault in local democracy and accountability that at a time when they are a lot of issues pertaining to the ward that there are two and not three representatives to deal with it.
“I don’t think this is the actions of a political party who has any time or care for their constituents.”
