Two former councillors have claimed the maximum possible allowance for the ten months they were in office despite only attending four meetings each.
Mother and daughter Bharti Gajjar and Chandni Mistry both claimed £12,168.25 according to Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) documents released today (Friday 2 August).
The duo were suspended from the Labour Party in November last year and expelled in December, over concerns about election irregularities around where Ms Mistry was living.
Both have strong links with Leicester. While Ms Gajjar had a genuine address in Kemptown, Ms Mistry was believed to be a medical student at the University of Lancaster. No charges were brought against either of the women.
Ms Mistry was a member of the now defunct Children, Families and Schools Committee, but did not attend any of the three meetings held she was suspended and lost her place on it.
Both former councillors were members of the now disbanded Equalities, Community Safety and Human Rights Committee and attended one of the two meetings held before they were expelled from labour.
They attended the annual full council meeting in May 2023, following their elections as Kemptown and Queen’s Park councillors respectively, and the full council meeting in October last year, but missed the July meeting.
Following their expulsion from Labour the pair missed the December full council and sat as independents at the February meeting for less than an hour, leaving during the public engagement section before main business.
During their short tenure, both women faced complaints from the public for failing to respond to residents’ queries and emails.
They resigned in March, sparking by-elections held in May.
Conservative group leader councillor Alistair McNair said the allowance claims and resignations showed the importance of vetting candidates.
Councillor McNair said: “Labour wasted a huge amount of taxpayer money when we had to have two by-elections, also meaning Labour councillors were campaigning instead of working for residents.
“Now we find their councillors claimed their full allowance without being able to commit to the role fully.
“Labour are quick to accuse others of wasting taxpayer money – they need to ensure their own house is in order.”
Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Bridget Fishleigh said: “If the former Labour councillors would like to get in touch with me, I’d be happy to provide bank details for the council so they can repay what they don’t deserve.”
When they resigned Labour council leader councillor Bella Sankey said the duo should “never have been selected” as candidates.
They were selected by the regional party. Labour members from the Kemptown and Queen’s Park wards chose the Labour candidates, who were both elected in May to replace them.
After Ms Gajjar and Ms Mistry resigned, Green opposition leader councillor Steve Davis called for their pair to have their allowances withheld.
The council’s then interim chief executive Will Tuckley said that there was currently no way of doing so.
Councillors lose their seat if they fail to turn up to a formal meeting for six months but councils have limited power to deal with other concerns in relation to their conduct.
Mr Tuckley said that the council was looking into the possibility of withholding allowances if councillors failed to attend meetings for a shorter period than six months.
The internet never forgets and this disgraceful conduct will blight their lives from now on. Was it worth it for £12k each? The younger one may find it costs her dear in the coming years as who would ever trust them again in any role?
Return of the shameless grifters…
They’ may have claimed for it but surely payment consent should not be allowed?
I would be interested to hear Bella Sankey’s take on this and whether this represents good value for money from the Labour Party to Brighton and Hove?
I’d also be interested to know how much B&H Labour paid GMB for use of their office space, or if they didn’t pay for use of the office space, whether this was a freebie to Labour from the GMB that the party and councillors who used the office space declared…
Unfortunately, I feel these two failed councillors were a product of checkbox ticking and a lack of vetting, helicoptered in by a regional office who imposed their will over the local branches.
I wrote to them several times. I asked them why they acted in the way that they did, and did they feel they were upholding the role, and the privilege of being elected in good faith? I asked why Gajjar lied through an auto reply message in her email, claiming it was a technical issue? Why did they hide their famiaral relationship? My questions were never answered.
I advised pursuing a medical career could be difficult, as that dishonesty in office will follow, and could prevent registration to a professional board.
As Alan says, the internet doesn’t forget, and their names will be forever tarnished. They have no career in politics in this country ever again. What they did was truly stupid in the short and long term. Gajjar should have known better. She’s dragged her family down with her.
I pity them both.
Probably tarnished in all aspects of career, not just politics. For £12k each, they have made themselves untouchable by any businesses, and probably socially too. It is now their legacy.
Not sure Monty…a google search for chandni’s name puts up articles like:
https://bestpaperawards.com/chandni-mistry-medicine-best-researcher-award-8603/
https://nri.today/chandni-mistry/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3Rcke5610fW-aL3VVaQ79Vak06yRPeMLLdmxRix8eKmRg-fre4E8Ozb1A_aem_AT55RwbEuMxD3KlxjhLdpdZMcXOwOqc7PGuHkNywurrfzDAhiPWmV6LTjKIMnkyAqjApqOsPGgXKRrEEDRAVTOpr
https://en.everybodywiki.com/Chandni_Mistry
Reputational management has already been done for her. Only an indepth search allows for their real face to cone up
At least the elections taught no party learnt that vetting is essential with bharti Gajjar’s son turning up as MP candidate from Leicester west
https://www.greatcentralgazette.org/join-us-for-our-leicester-west-general-election-hustings/
£12,000? That’s more than my annual income. How can this possibly be legal?
And that translates 2400000 rupees in India…and God knows how much they conned through the marriage fraud.
It’s the equivalent of a part time job at minimum wage, and considering what Wards Councillors end up actually doing, I feel is not reflective of their workload.
It’s not a job you do for the money, certainly.
Don’t pay them …then let them take the council to court and they can then say why the lied and never attended
Problem is they attended to the absolute bare minimum.
These allowances are paid on a monthtly basis as long as a councillor is legally in office.
Once they resigned the payment stopped.
The only legal requirement to remain a councillor is to attend a meeting once every six months. To get that changed needs a change in the law. It’s not in the councils hands.
This isn’t the same as an employee not turning up and HR stepping in to take action. Councilliors aren’t employees.
It’s called fraud… Plain & simple.
Disgusting.
Peter Bottomley has lost his seat in West Worthing after 49 years as an MP sucking up expenses and accomplished nothing. Lets hope he never gets in the Lords to join his wife.
Again, this whole story to me highlights a gap in the legislative process to deal with bad actors, such as this mother and daughter pair. Only one line needs to be changed in the local policy to allow a complaints process to lead to a dismissal outcome should it be needed. Their standing down was the only reason this was dropped, realistically. If rumours are to be believed, the interview under caution by the police was their proverbial feet being too close to the fire.
And the replacement councillor for Kemp Town chosen by local activists is about as useless as the last one. Hopeless and confused she is lost and muddled. With less the 40% turnout and complete apathy by residents it gets no better.
Two tier government strikes again.
Standard governmaent policy, all parties at it.
Maybe the Labour Group should club together and repay the council