Allowances hike "appalling" says Labour member
NEWLY elected county councillors have voted for an eight per cent hike in their allowances.
The Conservatives, who now hold 74 of Kent County Council’s 84 seats, voted unanimously for the raise in cash councillors receive for the work they do.
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Kent county councillors have awarded themselves an eight per cent pay increase
Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors all voted against the plans, saying the public should be consulted.
Bill Hayton, Tory KCC member for Broadstairs and Sir Moses Montefiore seconded the motion at the meeting. As vice-chairman of the council he will receive an extra £7,750 on top of the £13,290 basic allowance all councillors will receive.
Cllr Hayton said: “This was not something councillors came up with. It comes from the independent remuneration panel, who are members of the public who take all of these things into consideration.
“We haven’t received an increase in four years, and it in some of those years inflation has been at two and a half per cent. This won’t be changed again for another four years, so it only works out as a two per cent increase per year.”
He said being a county councillor, especially a member of the cabinet, was now a full-time job, and the money was needed to encourage young talent into local politics.
KCC leader Paul Carter will now get more than £44,000 for his role as council leader, on top of the £13,000 basic allowance, with cabinet members bagging more than £28,000 each. The increases mean KCC now spends more than £1,500,000 a year on councillors’ pay.
Members can also claim expenses for travel, phone calls, lunch and childcare out of the taxpayers’ purse.
Ramsgate’s Labour councillor Liz Green, voted against the proposal. She said: “It’s appalling. At a time when most residents in Thanet would have been lucky to get a one per cent increase in their pay if they keep their jobs, it’s completely wrong that Kent Tories have voted this through.
“It’s even more cynical that they have done it just after the election.”
4 Comments
by MIKEKNOTH, TunbridgeWells
Friday, July 03 2009, 3:53PM
“why the surprise ewhile labour and libdems heeded lord tebbitts call to ignore the main three parties unsurprisingly Tory voters signalled their approval of the parliamentary tory party's misdeeds byincreasing the overall tory vote by 1%Tiry voters recognise total self interest as a virtue in all but non toriesit's no surprisethose who invested inicelantic banks were reelected tories approve of their own dodgy dealing just not that of others”
by Eyebee, Ex Man of Kent
Wednesday, July 01 2009, 5:45PM
“yet another shining example of our elected representatives showing their true colors, and acting like pigs at the trough.
I always thought that Conservatives stood for small government and lower public spending? Not when they're rewarding themselves it seems.
Anyway, why should they get all these allowances?
Folk in proper jobs don't get them for the most part, but have to find travel expenses, and childcare costs from their paycheck.
Why should politicians be any different?”
by Al, Stone
Wednesday, July 01 2009, 10:23AM
“So do I assume that Labour and LibDem councillors will refuse to take the rise?
If they accept the additional money after publicly condemning it then they are nothing more than hypocrites.
I shall wait with interest.”
by ramsgate rocketter, thanet
Tuesday, June 30 2009, 12:04PM
“I just don't believe this,after losing all that money in the Icelandic Bank collapse,the Tories have the nerve 2 vote 4 a pay rise,what 4? they don't do anything except waste money on things the public don't want-they don't listen-they live on another planet,when r they gonna start doing something worth while 4 a change instead of lining there own pockets?”