Gary Etheridge
Cllr Gary Etheridge is a Conservative councillor for Strood Rural ward. He has represented the ward since May 2023.
Photo: Medway council
Gary has stood in nine elections in Medway. He has been elected on three occasions.
Political Career
Gary has served in the following posts:
Medway Council
Some of Medway's current and former representatives have also represented other parts of the country in local government, devolved assemblies and both houses of parliament. Where possible, we have tried to include parliamentary roles in other parts of the country in this section, but owing to the time and research involved, some of this data may require updating.
Committee Memberships
Gary has served on the following committees:
Medway Council
Business Support Overview and Scrutiny Committee | ||
May 2018 - May 2023 | 63.3% | |
Vice Chair May 2015 - May 2018 |
64.7% |
With the exception of the council, committee terms shown are calculated by reference to the first and last attendance recorded for Gary. Click on the name of a committee above to see all its members and find out what role the committee plays on the council.
Attendance at Council Meetings
The full council meets six times a year and, unless there are extenuating circumstances, all councillors are expected to attend these meetings.
Gary's attendance record for full council meetings is as follows:
Council attendance records are only available from October 2001 onwards. Click on a term to see how Gary Etheridge's attendance compared to the other councillors for that term.
* During the 2020 coronavirus (Covid-19) public health emergency, it was informally agreed between the two political groups to run Medway Council meetings with a reduced number of participants. This was to reduce risk, comply with Government guidance and enable more efficient meetings. Gary Etheridge's attendance rate may have been affected by this informal agreement of reduced participants.
Attendance at Committee Meetings
Councillors usually sit on a number of scrutiny or decision-making committees. Additionally, they may substitute for another member of a committee who is unable to make a meeting.
Gary's attendance record for these committee meetings is as follows:
Attendance as a substitute member of a committee is not included in the calculation of the attendance rate. Committee attendance records are only available from October 2001 onwards. Click on a term to see how Gary Etheridge's attendance compared to the other councillors for that term.
* During the 2020 coronavirus (Covid-19) public health emergency, it was informally agreed between the two political groups to run Medway Council meetings with a reduced number of participants. This was to reduce risk, comply with Government guidance and enable more efficient meetings. Gary Etheridge's attendance rate may have been affected by this informal agreement of reduced participants.
We are still working on adding historic attendance records to our database. The earliest council meeting we have attendance data for is that held on 13 November 2008. The earliest committee meeting we have attendance data for is that held on 21 November 2007. Please bear with us while we work back to the earliest data available.
Councillors' Allowances
All councillors are entitled to a basic allowance and to claim for certain travel and subsistence expenses. Some councillors have special responsibilities (e.g. a cabinet portfolio or chairing a committee) and receive an additional allowance.
The amount Gary received each year in allowances and expenses was:
Total | £156,392.99 | |
Basic allowance | £88,557.04 | |
Special responsibility allowance | £67,835.95 |
Allowances information is only available from 2005 onwards. Click on a year to see how Gary Etheridge's allowances compared to the other councillors for that year.
Voting History
Most decisions taken by councillors at meetings of the full council are made by unanimous agreement or, if the decision is disputed, by show of hands. However, the council's constitution states that in certain circumstances, or if six or more members request, a "recorded vote" may be taken, where each councillor's vote is recorded in the minutes of the meeting.
The votes recorded for Gary are as follows:
2019 to 2023
Council: Campaign for Hoo Peninsula to Become Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 8 Oct 2020 |
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Gary Etheridge voted against |
2015 to 2019
Pentagon Centre Purchase (Amendment): Obtain Two Further Independent Valuations 21 Feb 2019 |
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Gary Etheridge voted against |
Council: Support the Co-operative Party's Charter Against Modern Slavery (Amendment) 24 Jan 2019 |
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Gary Etheridge voted in favour |
Council: Complete SEN Review by End of July and Share Conclusions Publicly 19 Jul 2018 |
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Gary Etheridge was absent from the vote |
Council: Explore Options to Tackle Knife Crime (Amendment) 25 Jan 2018 |
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Gary Etheridge voted in favour |
Establishment of Committees, Appointments and Schedule of Meetings 2017/2018 (Amendment) 27 Apr 2017 |
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Gary Etheridge voted against |
Council: Reduce Time to Trigger Severe Weather Emergency Protocol 26 Jan 2017 |
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Gary Etheridge voted against |
Government: Reverse Planned Changes to Education (Amendment) 28 Apr 2016 |
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Gary Etheridge was absent from the vote |
Recorded votes are only available from December 2001 onwards. Click on a vote to see the full details of the motion and how the other councillors voted.
Electoral History
Gary has stood in the following elections in Medway:
Medway Council
Rochester-upon-Medway City Council
Kent County Council
A green bar on the right hand side of the result indicates that Gary Etheridge was elected, while a red bar indicates they were not elected. Click on a card to see the full results for that election.