Councillors seek 33% pay rise
CORNWALL councillors are to vote on proposals to increase their basic allowances by a third after an independent pay review.
Councillors will decide at their full meeting next week whether to accept the recommendation of the Independent Renumeration Panel (IRP) to increase the basic allowance to £14,600.
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If agreed, the new basic allowance would be a 33 per cent rise on £10,976 – the last figure agreed by the panel in 2005. An interim increase of £1,000 to nearly £12,000 was agreed in March ahead of the creation of the new unitary authority and a subsequent formal review.
If members agree to the pay rises, the council will pay out an additional £322,752 in basic allowances to members annually, taking the total to just under £1.8 million.
The review has attracted strong criticism from campaigners who have described any decision by councillors to increase their allowances as "totally unacceptable".
Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "It would be totally unacceptable for Cornwall's councillors to vote themselves a pay rise, particularly when times are so tough for most local people.
"The county has been hit particularly hard in the recession, and with lots of people losing their jobs or taking pay cuts, it would be utterly inappropriate for local politicians to start filling their pockets with even more taxpayers' money.
"People don't necessarily mind reimbursing councillors for the time they spend representing their constituents, but this is really not the time for them to demand more money."
Although Cornwall Council's 123 elected members do not receive a salary from the authority, they are paid an allowance to recognise their time commitment to the job. This covers meetings with constituents and officers as well as former council and committee meetings, taking and making telephone calls from home and other expenses such as postage and stationery used for council business.
The pay review comes nearly five years after the last report into basic allowances, which agreed to pay each member £10,976 annually. The latest report was drawn up by the four-member panel, which includes: former chief executive of Kerrier District Council, Geoff Cox; editor-in-chief of Cornwall and Devon Media Ltd, Andy Cooper; former chairman of Caradon IRP and non-executive director of Coastline Housing, John Caff; and retired employers secretary, Albert Lampey, the IRP chairman.
As part of the review, councillors were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire into their allowances. But only 53 members responded.
Nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) of those responding said they were not happy with their current level of pay, with most of those saying they wanted an increase. One councillor responded by suggesting a basic allowance of £25,000 – more than double the current level.
The results showed councillors also spent an average of 32 hours a week on basic council business, excluding any special responsibilities such as chairman of a planning committee.
Geoff Brown, Lib-Dem councillor for Newquay Central, said he had not been contacted by the IRP and was unaware that a questionnaire had been sent out to canvas members' opinions.
"The Lib-Dems have always said we wanted to freeze allowances for the next four years – for the life of the council. This is the first I have heard of the new proposed figure so I would have to take a look at it, but I don't imagine my view will change."
Andrew Wallis, Independent councillor for Porthleven and Helston South, said there were numerous opportunities for councillors to respond to the IRP, and told the panel that members "should be paid a living wage to compensate what they do".
The matter will be discussed at the full council meeting next Tuesday.
A spokesman for Cornwall Council said it would not make any comment until after the full council meeting on January 19.
83 Comments
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by Gary, Saltash
Thursday, January 14 2010, 3:13PM
“David
Rather sad the best cogent counter debate you can make is that and the butt of the reason MK can never succeed.”
by JoBeth, St Just
Thursday, January 14 2010, 2:38PM
“Very few people can take MK serious. The only chance they stand is if people on mass fail to vote. By Mass I mean 70% plus.”
by Robert, PZ
Thursday, January 14 2010, 1:41PM
“The 2 main political party's and the Lib Dems are useluss, but I don't think they have to worry about MK. Most Cornish people who can be bothered to vote won't vote for MK.”
by captain kernow, hayle
Thursday, January 14 2010, 12:49PM
“soon there will be an uprising from the little people!
We will be shouting and willing to fight for our rights!
Our pants have been pulled down for a repeated bargepoling for too long!
Funding mostly comes from our pockets!
im fed up with paying!
Let the fist waving commence!!!”
by David, Cornwall
Thursday, January 14 2010, 12:27PM
“"MK only upset me because they seek to hide the aim of the party and seeks to alienate the English which in my book is racism"
So the English are a "race" now? The race that ruled the world? Guess what, you don't rule the world anymore, you don't rule the British Isles anymore, and the grip on Cornwall is loosening... and don't you know it! :)”
by Napolian, Penzance
Thursday, January 14 2010, 12:02PM
“Last time I went to a MK meeting they were chanting 3 legs good 2 legs bad - which was odd... we are entering a new era - a selfish one where everybody is looking after themselves!”
by Gary, Saltash
Thursday, January 14 2010, 9:41AM
“BTW cheekyman if you had properly read my comment you would have noticed I am against all political parties, I hold no biased I have made comments against all political parties in recent days on this forum and only made my comment about MK after the Nationalists kicked off the usual abuse. MK only upset me because they seek to hide the aim of the party and seeks to alienate the English which in my book is racism. Think it through Sons of Cornwall and what that means, they can't hide this core fundamental rational of the party. Thought they now wish they could, that is 100% obvious”
by Gary, Saltash
Thursday, January 14 2010, 9:28AM
“cheekyman, Redruth Everything I stated is a known facts. Please do not try and drag me down to your level. I do not fight or use hostile language just facts, if you feel you counter my comments feel free but after many years or mooting with Cornish Nationalists I have found them angry people who almost also have no idea or concept of the very thing they are promoting, just misguided anger.
All the following was actually created on Wikipedia by the Sons of Cornwall. Bitter pill I know but the truth is painful to accept
Mebyon Kernow (Cornish for Sons of Cornwall, often abbreviated to MK)
MK was founded on 6 January 1951 at a meeting held in Redruth. Helena Charles was elected the party's first chair. At the first meeting, MK adopted the following objectives:
1. To study local conditions and attempt to remedy any that may be prejudicial to the best interests of Cornwall by the creation of public opinion or other means.
2. To foster the Cornish Language and Literature.
3. To encourage the study of Cornish history from a Cornish point of view.
4. By self knowledge to further the acceptance of the idea of the Celtic character of Cornwall, one of the six Celtic nations.
5. To publish pamphlets, broadsheets, articles and letters in the Press whenever possible, putting forward the foregoing aims.
6. To arrange concerts and entertainments with a Cornish-Celtic flavour through which these aims can be further advanced.
7. To cooperate with all societies concerned with preserving the character of Cornwall.
Wgy do they prefer not to use the phrase Sons of Cornwall.???”
by cheekyman, Redruth
Thursday, January 14 2010, 9:03AM
“To Gary from Saltash - I used to be a small minded anti MK type just like you, I had stupid ideas that England looked down on us and that MK were inherently racist...but having been a voter for the last 18 years I've realised that the English parties are all liars and that I'd rather be screwed over by a Cornishman or woman than by party politics that don't affect us...it's a totally idiotic idea that we should be governed by people who take orders from those who don't have one iota of an idea of what it's like here.
I'm for the pay increase, surely these people deserve to be financially rewarded for the work they do? That is if they are doing a good job, if they aren't worth the money they shouldn't be standing...admittedly it's a bad time to be thinking about any sort of rise though...”
by Pawl, Kernow
Wednesday, January 13 2010, 9:47PM
“Still waiting for your answer Charles the English”