Archived Topic
Topic ID 2829
14/03/2008 by Andy B
Government expenses
National government has come under justified criticism for the expenses that they are able to claim for, I’m sure it is an embarrassment to all MP’s and something will be done to rectify this situation.
What reassurances have we that this is not the same in local government are their expenses transparent?
0 replies
Archived Replies
Reply ID 31021
14/03/2008 by Dusty
Councillors expenses were increased last year by some horrendous amount with hardly a whimper from the local press. Councillors expenses apparently increased from £90,000 in 1999 to £430,000 in 2006/2007 (http://www.ehpeople.org/FAQ.html). Details of their last years claims are here http://80.168.51.108/media/pdf/1/g/Members_Allowances_2006-07.pdf.
Some of these allowances are more than most people earn as a full-time wage. And I thought that being a councillor was a voluntary position that caring people spent their time on because they wanted to improve the lot of their fellow citizens. Obviously an old fashioned view and they're just in it for what they can make.
Anyway, I'm more concerned about the ridiculous amounts that council executives are paid. Quite how they justify their rate of pay is beyond me. And we, as council tax payers, are going to have to fund their pensions as well.
Reply ID 31022
14/03/2008 by Pat-H
I had a quick look and it doesn't like an awful lot to me.
I know some of those councillors and they work very hard for less than I pay for a receptionist in London.
I'll edit my reply as well.
The problem with these positions only being available to those who can afford to fund it out of their own pocket is that it prohibits a whole section of the less well off of society being involved.
It's not right to expect people to perform civic duties without fair reward. And executives in the private sector wouldn't even get out of bed for those sorts of salaries.
Also remember many of these councillors will have risen up from local council positions which pay absolutely nothing.
For the years my wife was a local councillor all expenses including postage, petrol, baby sitting, and the endless raffle tickets all were paid for by us personally. Only the year she was Mayor was there any expense allowance. And that was the grand amount of £100 per month!
2 replies