Councillor who lost daughter accuses council of showing “no compassion”

A councillor who was removed from her post for not attending a meeting for six months while caring for her terminally daughter who has since died has accused Shropshire Council of showing her “no compassion whatsoever”.

Councillor Jane Mackenzie said she found out she had lost her Bayston Hill, Column and Sutton seat via Facebook.

And following outrage from colleagues of all political leanings, she was told by e-mail yesterday that she had been reinstated.

But she said she felt like the council “couldn’t wait to get rid of her” and said a councillor who made a formal complaint about her absence “obviously had it in for me”.

She said: “It has been 24 hours of just being put through the mill.

“I found out that I had lost my seat when I got a notification advertising my seat in a by-election on Facebook.

“I then saw I had been taken off the Shropshire Council website and I couldn’t quite believe it.

“I had been caring for Amy who needed someone with her in the house 24 hours a day before she died.

“Since then I have been grieving for her and dealing with the GP and other health professionals who are looking into the sad circumstances surrounding her death.

“I asked what had happened because I did not know I would be struck off after six months – especially as I had attended council business in that time and indeed Shrewsbury Town Council meetings.

“I was told that one of my fellow colleagues had made a formal complaint about my absence. I don’t know who it is, but they have really stuck the knife in.

“The fact is I had to look after Amy. She could not be left alone. When my husband was here I could go to business in the evening.

“The council had shown no compassion whatsoever and they could not get rid of me quick enough.

“I will accept the reinstatement and serve my ward but I have not even had an apology as yet from the council.

“The e-mail I received was very officious and just said I was back on the council. There was no apology, compassion or understanding on their part.

“It just goes to show the council treats its own just like it does the vulnerable members of society.”

Councillor Mackenzie also thanked others for their support over the last 24 hours and said he daughter Amy was “a lovely girl” and that she had launched a charity in her memory.