North Portslade councillor Peter Atkinson got the shock of his life when he opened a letter from the council – the envelope contained his P45.
This is the form given to staff when they leave a job.
The recently re-elected Labour councillor said: “I thought that maybe there had been a recount without me knowing.”
It’s not as if being a councillor is a paying job. All 54 members of Brighton and Hove City Council receive a basic allowance – less than £12,000 last year – and they are taxed on it.
As a result, when a councillor loses their seat at an election or stands down, they receive a P45.
Councillor Atkinson said: “We have a small team within the council called Democratic Services and they look after all the committees and also help councillors with any problem they might have.
“They’re a great bunch of hard-working people and soon put the problem straight, which was caused by a computer error.”
Councillor Atkinson was returned last month with an increased majority – almost a thousand compared with almost a hundred in May 2015 – so said that he was understandably taken aback to receive his marching orders.
But with the computer glitch sorted, he said: “All’s well that ends well.
“I look forward to serving the residents of North Portslade for a further four years.”
if only the computer could assess them properly as being ‘fit for purpose’ as a councillor – 95% of them would be sacked immediately – Only Lee Wares would be left
Can you supply your statistical evidence for this assertion before the pub stool collapses under you?
‘statistical evidence’ – try taking a walk around town – from the rusting remains of the west pier and loss-making i360 to the crumbling seafront arches.
Take a tea break at Pavilion gardens surrounded by street drinkers, addicts and the homeless.
Walk around the corner and encounter numerous people camped up on the pavement.
Virtually every shop in the town has an addict/beggar with a dog in the doorway.
Then take a bus up the Lewes Road corridor into an area decimated by an out of proportion number of students to residents. A once vibrant area that I grew up in with the soul ripped out of it and a nice variety of shops now replaced mainly by fast food outlets and estate agents advertising properties to rent almost exclusively to students.
Children brought in out of the area to attend my former school, Fairlight, because there are not enough children in the student-dense surrounded streets.
Is that enough evidence for you or shall I go on.
Millions spent on pointless bus lanes that are largely unnecessary and un-needed.
Cameras placed strategically to fine people in case they stray into the pointless bus lanes leaving local residents feeling like they are being treated with the utmost contempt.
Traffic clogged up in all the main arteries into and out of town and schemes still being added to.
Thousands of new student accommodation units being built with virtually nothing for the thousands on the council waiting list.
An attempt to flog off Hove Library for private development – a wonderful gift to the town from Andrew Carnegie.
Is that enough for you before you compose any more of your deluded, empty, hot air