‘Snouts in the trough’ claim over pay rises for councillors

7:38pm Wednesday 23rd July 2008

By Diana Henderson

DAYS after local government staff went on strike over a 2.45 per cent pay rise, Poole councillors have voted for pay rises of up to 67 per cent.

Cabinet members will see their allowances rise from £8,566 to £10,707 - on top of a basic allowance of £8,980.

In a bid to keep within the £571,470 budget this year, Conservative cabinet members volunteered to forego their rise until next April, while the other increases will be implemented from September.

Conservative group leader Cllr Ann Stribley told the council: "This is a significant sacrifice and contribution in order to keep within budget."

She stressed the increases, which include 67 per cent for overview and scrutiny chairmen from £2,570 to £4,283, were the recommendations of an independent panel and the council had agreed them in principle in May. Members' allowances have already received an inflationary adjustment of 2.9 per cent.

The allowance for the chairman of planning will rise 100 per cent for future holders of the role. This year's chairman does not claim that allowance as she is already deputy leader of the council, drawing £21,829.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Tony Trent said the council should be setting an example. "I think we should have an increase in line with what we give our staff," he said.

Three Conservatives abstained from the vote, including Cllr Carole Deas, who said: "I think this is a very inappropriate time to have this increase."

But Cllr Chris Bulteel said: "My workload has increased to such an extent I have had to cut my hours of employment to be able to cope with the workload of the health and social care overview and scrutiny committee."

Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Mike Brooke proposed an amendment that they should retain the current scheme with its 2.9 per cent inflationary rise for three years or the life of the council.

"That's about what many other people are having. This is totally self congratulatory. It's snouts in the trough," he said.

The amendment was lost on the vote and the motion with the rise from September, with portfolio holders delayed until April, was voted through.

The situation mirrors that of Bournemouth last February when cabinet members voted to increase their allowances by up to 36 per cent.

The decision meant the basic sum paid to every single councillor rose by 17.3 per cent to £9,020, while cabinet members benefited from a rise of almost 32 per cent to £20,295. Council leader Cllr Stephen MacLoughlin and deputy Cllr John Beesley saw their allowances rise by 34 and 36 per cent respectively.