Councillor who hasn’t attended meeting in six months claims he has been subject of “bullying and intimidation” at Rochdale Council

A Rochdale councillor who stepped back from his duties due to ill health has claimed that he experienced “bullying and intimidation” from some members at the local authority.

Councillor Peter Allonby, of the Middleton Independents Party (MIP), alleged to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that members of Rochdale Council have tried to stop him speaking during meetings, and laughed in his face after he shared ideas.

He said the behaviour of some members has damaged his mental health and impacted his work as a councillor.

Rochdale Council said it is “not aware of any complaints from Councillor Allonby” regarding councillors’ conduct.

But Councillor Allonby said: “The chair of the [Middleton] Township has closed me down when speaking at meetings. At some meetings, I have been directly laughed at in my face when I put forward suggestions.

“Most of it is personal abuse on Facebook, mostly from Labour supporters. When you have mental health problems that really hits you very hard, the anxiety levels just build up and up.”

Last week, Councillor Allonby was the focus of a row during a full council meeting.

He was due to cease being a member of Rochdale Council for not attending a meeting in a six month period, and members voted against extending his period of absence.
 

Read more: Middleton councillor to lose seat after not attending meetings for six monthsPublished: 14 December 2023

Some members of the Labour group questioned Councillor Allonby’s attendance record, pointing out that he had maintained his social media presence and appeared to be active around Middleton.

A statement from the MIP after the meeting claimed that Councillor Allonby “threw himself into local volunteering projects” but had suffered “appalling intimidation” during his time at the council.

Councillor Allonby had a heart attack in April, and is due to undergo heart surgery imminently.

However, he attended a Middleton Township sub-committee meeting on 14 December to ensure he can continue with his council role. He told the LDRS that he has been advised by medical professionals against doing council work, and does not plan to regularly attend meetings again until after the surgery has taken place.

The councillor for the North Middleton ward was first elected in 2022 for a four year term and is due to continue in his role until 2026 – unless he decides to step down, or health issues prevent him from attending any meetings within a six months period.

He was elected with 1,140 votes in the ward, more than any other candidate who stood in North Middleton in the May 2022 election.

Rochdale Council said it is “not aware of any complaints from Councillor Allonby” regarding councillors’ conduct.

A spokesperson from the Rochdale Labour Group said: “The Labour Party is not aware of any complaints made by Councillor Peter Allonby about Labour councillors or party members. The Labour Party is not responsible for the views of ‘supporters or voters.'”

Declan Carey, Local Democracy Reporting Service