Middleton faces by-election after MIP councillor loses seat following health issues

A by-election is set to take place in Middleton after Councillor Peter Allonby, representing the Middleton Independents Party (MIP) on Rochdale Borough Council, was disqualified due to six months of non-attendance at council meetings.

Despite being absent after life-saving heart surgery, Allonby's seat has now been officially declared vacant under the Local Government Act 1972, prompting a by-election unless local electors opt for the seat to be filled through co-option.

A notice posted to the Rochdale Council web site states: "A by-election to elect a new councillor for the North Middleton ward is due to be held within 35 working days (from Monday 16 September 2024). This is due to Councillor Peter Allonby being unable to attend meetings of the authority for a period of 6 consecutive months from the date of his last meeting."

This marks a significant loss for the Middleton Independents, as Allonby’s departure leaves only one remaining party representative on the council.

Adding to the political tension, questions have been raised about Councillor Elsie Blundell, who represents Balderstone and Kirkholt ward.

Following her election as MP for Heywood and Middleton, calls are growing for a by-election to be called to fill her seat on the council.

 

 

Lee Wolf, chair of the Middleton Independents Party, has vowed to fight to retain Allonby’s seat.

He expressed his frustration, stating, "We will defend Peter’s seat with all we’ve got."

He claimed that Allonby, despite being unable to attend meetings due to his health, had continued to support local residents with their casework.

He accused Labour of political opportunism, saying in a press release: "Late last week, it became apparent that the local Labour party at Rochdale Council were unwilling to support the recovery of Peter Allonby by granting a six-month period of absence whilst he recovers from life-saving heart surgery. This was confirmed to Peter by the council’s governance officer whilst he was in the high dependency unit following his heart surgery, less than 24 hours after coming out of intensive care.

"This whole episode shows local Labour in their true light… without scruples, even worse, without a moral compass."

In a statement posted online, the Middleton Labour Party stated: "We have made enquiries and the Council’s Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer have had to call this by-election due to former Cllr Allonby’s none [sic] attendance at meetings for over 6 months. The seat is legally now vacant. This is not a decision of the Labour Party."

The Middleton Independents are now calling for the matter to be debated by the full council on 16 October, hoping that other parties will rally behind Allonby in what they describe as a moral issue above a political one.