Inflation busting allowances of leading Conservatives revealed
Some councillor households are going to have a hefty bump in their allowances amid the biggest cost of living squeeze in a generation
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By Sarah Ward
Last Thursday there were uncomfortable scenes as the Conservative led North Northamptonshire Council voted to give its 78 councillors an 11 per cent pay rise.
There were impassioned speeches from Labour and Independent opposition councillors, who all voted against the increase, with accusations of ‘snouts in the trough’.
In a sign of the unease the allowance increase has caused, more than a quarter of the council’s 58 Conservatives stayed away from the meeting so as not to have to vote on the issue and two Conservatives, Cllr Scott Brown and Cllr King Lawal both ignored the whip and voted against the rest of their party who agreed the recommendations of an independent panel. It now means the amount received by each of the elected councillors will increase from £12,718 to £14,000 per year. There is no obligation on any councillor to receive their allowance for their council duties. The funds come from locally collected council tax.
The rise comes at a time when the government is refusing the pay rise ask of rail workers and as other public sector workers such as barristers and teachers consider taking industrial action. All against the backdrop of inflation currently running at nine per cent - the highest level in 30 years.
The authority gave its workers a 1.75 per cent pay rise.*
NN Journal has reported before on how many married couples there are on North Northamptonshire Council, with the majority of those on the ruling executive. Following their pay bump we take a look at how much more these couples will be receiving after voting to give themselves a pay rise last week.
Highest earner
Cafe and car rental company owner leader Jason Smithers is the highest paid councillor on the authority.
He will now receive an annual allowance of £42,990 - an increase of 6.5 percent.
Highest earning couple
East Northamptonshire councillor Cllr Wendy Brackenbury and her husband Cllr David Brackenbury are the couple taking home the largest amount of money from the unitary council. Between them they receive £57,326 a year. David is executive member for regeneration and his wife is the chair of the scrutiny committee. Their collective income from the authority has risen by 8 per cent.
More big earning couples
Executive member for highways Cllr Graham Lawman and his wife Lora, who is chair of the executive panel for democracy now will receive £54,021. Their pay increase, which they both voted for, is 10 per cent.
Another high earning couple is deputy leader Helen Howell and her partner Lee Wilkes (who is chair of the Corby and East Northants Conservative Association). They will now take home between them £49,750 and with her hike in deputy leader allowance the income coming in just for Helen Howell equals a 13 percent allowance rise.
Another East Northamptonshire councillor couple David Jenny and his wife Barbara Jenny will take home £33,088 from the authority.
Executive - More than a full time job
Last month Andy Mercer resigned as executive member for housing.
His resignation came at a time when the department is under severe pressure and strain amid huge backlogs and residents desperate for housing are having to wait several weeks just for an assessment. (Read our story here).
At Thursday’s meeting he said he had stood down because of blood pressure issues and said being an executive member was ‘more than a full time job’.
However some members of the executive, who now receive £29,590 hold another job alongside their council one.
Executive member for environment Harriet Pentland works for Corby MP Tom Pursglove, children’s executive member Scott Edwards also has another job, and the newest member of the executive Matt Binley, who has the job of sorting out the issues in housing also has a full time job.
*This has been amended from the 1.5 per cent rise we stated earlier.
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I am disgusted by his vote.
NNC was set up after the failings of the County Council as a slimmer, leaner, more efficient body.
Some members, including the Leader, were very involved in the workings of NCC during its bankruptcy period. Now they have given themselves an unjustified pay rise and want to increase the number of councillors, despite the fact they already have more than the number recommended during the setting up of this new council. The expressions "snouts" and "troughs" come to mind.
These councillors are a disgrace and show little genuine concern at the real people they were elected to serve - serve that ism not milk! If they cannot manage on their existing allowances they should resign and let's elect people who will live on it.
Once again, as in so many areas of public life, we are being led by people we cannot trust and who do not display the qualities needed for true leadership.
Amazing hypocrisy of the Conservatives. This should be front page news.