Haringey Labour proposes massive pay hike for councillors - Lib Dems warned against hypocrisy 09/11/06

Local Conservatives have slammed Labour proposals for a massive hike in councillors' allowances. The proposed pay hikes would see the average councillor's pay rise by nearly 50% up from £8,500 to £15,500 and many even larger rises for leading members of both the Labour and Lib Dem groups. These changes were agreed in principle by the ruling Labour Group on Haringey Council ahead of a vote at Monday's Full Council meeting,

Justin Hinchcliffe of Haringey Conservatives said:

"Council Tax is going through the roof, services are being cut, council tenants can't get basic repairs done and council employees are being given inflation-only pay rises. Yet fat cat councillors have their snouts in the trough just seven months after the local elections. We hope Lib Dem councillors
at least will do the hourable thing and vote against these massive pay hikes. And, if Labour forces the rises through, we expect our opposition councillors to refuse to accept the increase afterwards.  To do otherwise would be sheer hypocrisy on their part.

"Council taxpayers need to be reminded that councillors are not full-time employees of the council - most of them have full-time paid jobs elsewhere. Many councillors are receiving these allowances for attending just a few meetings - and meeting attendance by Haringey councillors is often woefully poor. It would be interesting to know how much time they actually spend on council business
(and I don't mean party political business!) and work out their 'hourly rate' for the job.  In most cases it will be far more than they could ever hope to earn from their normal employment."

ENDS.