Issue - meetings

CSD23003

The regulations governing Members’ Allowances required that, before the beginning of each financial year, the Council should make a scheme of allowances for that year, taking into account the advice of the London Councils independent panel on councillor remuneration.

The report detailed the proposed allowances for 2023/24. The Mayoral and Deputy Mayoral Allowances were not part of the Members Allowances Scheme, but were usually considered in conjunction with it. The Scheme had to be agreed by full Council – this would be at the meeting on 27^th February 2023.

In many previous years, members had decided not to increase the allowances, but if Members were minded to increase the allowances a reasonable guide would be the increase recommended for Council staff, which, subject to Member confirmation, was expected to be 7.75%. Proposals based on a 7.75% increase but with some other changes have been received from the majority group – these were summarised at paragraph 3.5 of the report. Cllr Simon Fawthrop attended the meeting to explain these proposals, which he had formulated following an examination of allowances across London. In particular, most Councils had an allowance for their Deputy Leader, and very few Councils (probably only three) had an allowance for the leader of the second largest minority group.

Councillor Julie Ireland also attended the meeting and pointed out that the London Councils recommendations did include an allowance for the second largest minority group leader.

The Committee discussed the various options, including in particular the allowances for Executive Assistants and Vice-Chairmen and the proposal to remove the allowance for the second minority party leader, which a number of members opposed.

A proposal to increase the basic allowance by 4.5%, increase the allowances for the Chairmen of the Audit and Risk Management and Pensions Committees to match those for PDS Committee Chairmen, remove the allowances for Executive Assistants and retain all other allowances at the current level, transferring the saving of £61k to the Council’s Welfare fund,  was moved by Cllr Simon Jeal and seconded by Cllr Kathy Bance, but not supported.

A proposal to freeze all allowances at the current level was moved by Cllr Sam Webber and seconded by Cllr Mike Jack, but was not supported.

RESOLVED that

(1) The Members Allowances Scheme 2023/24 and the Mayoral and Deputy Mayoral Allowances be approved based on the proposals from the Conservative group for most allowances to be increased by 7.75% (rounded up as necessary) with increased allowances for the Deputy Leader, the Leader of the largest minority group, the Chairmen of Pensions Committee and Audit and Risk Management Committee and various Vice-Chairman roles and removal of the allowance for the second largest minority group leader.

(2)  The Members’ Allowances Scheme 2023/24 and the Mayoral and Deputy Mayoral allowances for 2023/24 be submitted to Council for approval.