My salary as an MP is about £65,000. Its always seemed to me to be a very good salary for a job which involves a strong element of public service. Though I'll always take what's offered, I'd have done the job for nothing. Done it differently of course, and of necessity only part-time - and not have been able to afford all those things that are 'expected' of an MP. When I was first elected to Montgomeryshire District Council, I elected not to take any payment at all for my time until I became Vice Chairman, which involved four days most weeks. I then took £16.50 per day. This is by way of a preamble to commenting on what its proposed that Powys County Council's new cabinet members are to be paid from next month.
At present the Council is 'led' by an Executive Management Board of 15 Cllrs. who are each paid £21,700 - with the Leader being paid £28,217. From next month the Council will be 'led' by a Cabinet of 10 (I think) who will each be paid £25,600 - with the Leader being paid £36,017. It is also proposed that there will be special responsibility payments for other individual duties. The increases are being recommended by an Independent Remuneration Panel. The report going to the full Council for approval goes under the authorship of Councillors Tony Thomas and Stephen Hayes.The Conservative Group does not agree with these increases, and its Group Leader will refuse to take the new responsibility allowance.
This seems to me to be quite a strong story. In fact one journalist I spoke to described the increases as f***** outrageous - and she was a lady!!. Personally, I thought the public should know about this, so that they can inform Councillors of their opinion before they vote on these proposals on April 28th. When asked to comment by the BBC and Shropshire Star today, I just said that I thought such increases at this time of pay freezes and cuts are insensitive - and that I thought the public should know before the decision is taken. Some issues do not need hyping up.
5 comments:
Glyn, you might like to read this.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12975572
You're information was correct it seems.
I wonder if you can publish what allowances Conservative Cabinet members of Monmouth and Vale of Glamorgan receive?
Perhaps I can help Glyn? The Leader of Conservative Monmouthshire received £44,085.52 for 2009-10 and the Leader of Conservative Vale of Glamorgan
£48,818.00 for the saem period that is not including any further allowances e.g. the Police Authority etc. The Powys allowances appear lower to me. Do you wish to propose that your Conservative colleagues in Monm oth and the Vale take a cut in their allowances? Or does this only apply to non-Conservative authorities?
In the current economic climate it would be nice to see Powys Councillors do the right thing and ask for reduction in salary. Lead by example. When so many people are being made unemployed or not had a pay rise for years, it's unexcusable. Something you might want to suggest to them Glyn.
Karen
Can I just say as a Powys Councillor, I think it's wholly inexcusable for the cabinet members and any other member of the council to take a pay rise in the current economic climate. It's true that the money is already budgeted for because the allowance budget was based on 15 board members and there are now or soon will be 10 cabinet members, hence there being a surplus in that budget, the point I have made to my residents and stand by completely is that just because it's there doesn't mean it has to be spent. The Cabinet members have the opportunity to put their hands up and be counted, by putting that money into something useful, refurbishment of a school toilet bloack, a skate park - something young people in llandrindod have been waiting for years, into an adult social care package. It's completely taking the mic out of people who are struggling to pay their bills, haven't had a pay rise. There is an increase in workload because there was 15 board members and will be 10 cabinet members so the work of those 5 people is shared between the 10 now but that was a choice the lib dems and powys administration made when they pushed throught the cabinet system, doing away with involvement in decison making from all political groups.
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