Southend Council leader and deputy give conflicting views over expenses
Southend Borough Council last week voted to provide members with a £100 increase on their basic expense allowances.
This comes after the recommendation from the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel, which said that the Council should scrap travel and food allowances altogether and instead provide councillors with a flat-rate increase on their general allowance.
Whilst the official statement from Deputy Leader of the Council John Lamb has welcomed the increase, Council Leader Nigel Holdcroft (left) has contradicted this view on his blog.
Cllr Holdcroft writes: “[In-borough travel] claims for the 51 councillors amounted to about £7000 last year. It is now recommended that every member should receive £100 per year to reimburse in-borough travel expenses whether or not they incur them which it is argued will save officer time processing the claims.
“I am not sure how a scheme involving a flat rate payment is just or equitable.
“If in-borough expenses are going to be paid then surely payments should reflect the expenses actually incurred rather than a system which could cost £5,100 and where every councillor is likely to be either over reimbursed or under reimbursed.
“I have said that I would support the recommendations of the Independent Panel which I will do, but I do struggle to follow the logic of their recommendations.”
Meanwhile, Cllr Lamb said in a statement: “It costs around £10,000 a year in council officers’ time just to process £4,000 worth of previously legitimate claims for expenses.
“By giving each councillor a flat rate of £100 each we will now be saving thousands of pounds.
“Despite what some claim, no councillor is here to line their pockets, but they must be able to cover their costs.
“We cannot have a situation where only the well-off can afford to be councillors.
“This is far from a gravy train with moat cleaning and duck islands for all.”
The decision has been met with some controversy from the opposition parties.
Writing for Councilbust.com this week, Labour Cllr Ian Gilbert said: “We thought it would send a terrible signal to anyone adversely affected by the budget cuts, or staff how have had their pay frozen, if we accepted any increase at all.
“My colleague Stephen George proposed an amendment to delete the extra £100 from the report.
“It went to a vote and, unusually, every opposition councillor present voted with us.
“Unfortunately every Conservative councillor voted against, so the motion fell.”
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In these times there is absolutely no justification for voting to increase Councillors personal allowances. The majority of the tory councillors qualify for free bus passes anyway due to their age(sorry but it’s true) and saying that only the well-off would be able to be Cllrs without these extras is frankly ridiculous. many people work in the borough and have voluntary community commitments to attend on a regular basis and they don’t get travel expenses. The borough is hardly any size either.Labour Cllrs didn’t just find it controversial they thought it was blatantly wrong. None of them thought this vote would mean they couldn’t cover their costs. As for Deputy Leader Lambs comments- his allowances are : basic allowance of £8,402.20 + special responsibility allowance of £14,528.85 total of £22,931.05. So it begs the question-is the insistence of the extra £100 really NOT about lining pockets?? THE DUCK HOUSE STANDS!