Thanet councillor's commute from Central America
A TORY district councillor who divides his time between Thanet and Central America is facing calls to resign his position.
Cllr Stephen Broadhurst runs two security firms, one in the isle and one in Panama – but turned up to just a third of council meetings he was expected to attend during the last six months.
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Cllr Stephen Broadhurst is said to spend much of his time in Panama
He was present at three of the nine meetings he was due to sit on, according to the district council’s website. He also failed to send apologies for two of the six sessions he missed.
Blogger Tony Flaig, who runs the BigNews Margate website, accused Cllr Broadhurst of not spending enough time in his Thanet patch to fully represent the interests of whose who voted for him.
Mr Flaig said: “I don’t think anyone expects their councillors to be at their beck and call, but they do expect them to be available when they need them, and I’ve heard from a number of people who are angry that they can’t get hold of him.
“I think it was said that in the age of email councillors could field problems from wherever they are, but I sent him an email more than three days ago and I still haven’t heard back.
“It just seems a bit much to me that he’s laid up in Panama rather than back here.”
Cllr Broadhurst’s colleagues have shrugged off the claims.
Fellow Dane Valley councillor and Tory whip Ted Watt-Ruffell said: “I have told Stephen that if he feels he cannot fulfil his duties as a councillor he should resign, but he replied that he felt he was able to do so. He does spend quite a lot of time in the UK, as he has a company here. He has met the attendance rule that councillors must go to at least one meeting every 26 weeks.”
Cllr Broadhurst, who has represented the ward since 1997, was unavailable for comment on the three times the Thanet Times tried to contact him. On the first attempt, it was said he was on holiday, on the second that his phone was broken, and on the third, that he had a chest infection.
3 Comments
by weneednewcllrs, ramsgate , southeast
Thursday, July 30 2009, 12:57AM
“it amazes me how people keep having a go at steven broadhurst , wouldnt we all love to be rich and living in panama with many companys and living like a king ? he seems to employ people in thanet so thats good, its about time people enjoyed life like him, if there was more companys employing people in thanet we could have properties aroundthe world and have hired help to tend to our yachts eh, thanks for reading :)”
by fedup margate, kent
Thursday, July 30 2009, 12:29AM
“he left a company in uk probe security to e run by edwin ruffell who is mayor of margate ? if you watch emmerdale and watch eric polard you will notice the character eric pollard who is bent and sneaky and abused council benefits eric polard character has allot in common with these people, who in there right mind could conceive some podgy grubby man like steve broadhurst can help thanet when he lives and has shares in a panama casino and has a panama security firm could help thanet at all , its about time these people were forced to resign, the 5000 a year he gets is paying for a extreme lifestyle in panama including lapdancing and has children whing his yaucht and cars, and its our council tax paying for that !!! come on thanet people lets get rid !!”
by Cas Justice, Broadstairs
Tuesday, July 28 2009, 7:50PM
“No wonder our Council taxes rise each year, I have never heard anything more rediculous than paying a member of the Council almost £5000 per year, when he doesn't even have an abode in this country. If he was Councillor of my ward I would be asking for his resignation. At least my councillors are always there when we want them, which is how it should be. The way Ezekiel runs this Council I am not atall surprised he allows this to happen, he should also be asked to resign, Latchford as well”