Wandsworth’s ruling Labour administration tables proposal to increase councillor allowances, adding over £100,000 to the council's pay bill
Wandsworth Council will this evening (Wednesday 18th October) vote on proposals tabled by the Labour administration to end a 12-year freeze on councillors' allowances.
The report proposes steep increases in the special allowances paid to Labour councillors who hold certain positions, such as sitting in the administration’s cabinet or chairing a committee. Although HMRC guidance asks local authorities to avoid a majority of councillors getting extra pay, 33 of the 35 Wandsworth Labour councillors will now be eligible for additional money.
The report that will be voted on by the council this evening also backdates the increases to April 2023. This results in some Labour councillors getting thousands of pounds in back-pay.
The recommendations include:
- Awarding Labour's Chief Whip, Cllr Sara Apps, a 172% pay rise - she will now receive over £40,000 a year, with a lump sum of over £8,000 in back pay
- Increasing the cost of allowances for the Labour group by 12%.
- Handing members of their group over £28,000 in back-pay bonuses.
- Creating brand-new allowances for individual Labour councillors (Cllr Norman Marshall, Cllr Denise Paul, and Cllr Jeremy Ambache) costing close to £3,000 each.
- Adding £102,000 to the council's pay bill this year alone.
- The basic rate of pay for backbench councillors would rise by 4% from £10,597 to £11,025.
Allowances in Wandsworth were frozen for 12 years, which had cross-party support. When proposing the original allowances for this year, Labour's Cabinet Member for Finance said any increases would be inappropriate "given the current financial climate and the cost-of-living crisis". The council has also said it is likely that it will need to use reserves to fill new budget deficits.
With Labour holding a majority of 35 seats on Wandsworth Council to the Conservative Party’s 22, the allowances report is likely to pass.
Cllr Will Sweet, the Leader of Wandsworth Conservatives said:
“Shame on these Wandsworth Labour fat cats. It beggars belief that Wandsworth Labour are using their majority to push through huge pay rises for their own colleagues. Residents are tightening their belts and they rightly expect the Council to do the same. It seems to have escaped Labour's notice that there's a cost-of-living crisis on. Conservative councillors will be voting against these proposals. We support a freeze on councillor pay."
