Tories Slam Ealing Labour Over Councillors Allowances
As motion to scrap additional payments is rejected by council
The Conservatives on Ealing Council have criticised the ruling Labour group for rejecting a proposal to scrap special allowances for councillors in a bid to try and save local libraries.
It follows calls by a local campaigner for Councillors to give up their payments as further cuts are announced in the borough.
The 26th February budget which increases Council Tax for a second year in the row, is also looking at making major changes, (including possible closures) to 7 libraries and 11 children centres.
Labour rejected a Conservative amendment which they claim would have saved the libraries by scrapping all Special Responsibility Allowances.
Cllr Gregory Stafford, Conservative Group Leader said:
“Increasing Council Tax to cover up incompetence, whilst at the same time increasing the number of Special Responsibility Allowances being paid, shows that Labour is yet again morally on the wrong side of the argument.
The Conservative amendment, which would still produce a balanced budget and save the 7 libraries was predictably rejected by Labour; their pockets matter more than the thousands of Ealing residents who depend on Ealing libraries.
A responsible budget should be about service not self. Putting your hand in the taxpayers’ purse, whilst cutting services and asking staff to make sacrifices is wrong on every level.
In the real world, when times are tough, you don’t get to pay yourself and your friends more money. Yet again, Ealing Labour is putting self before service.''
However Cllr Bassam Mahfouz, Cabinet member for Finance & Leisure said:
'' To be clear; Labour's proposals cut spending on Councillors' allowances. When the Tories were last in control in Ealing, the first thing they did was hike up councillors salaries to the tune of £150,000 including an increase of 43% for their leader, whilst under Labour we have seen a real terms decrease in councillor allowances in every year of our administration.
'' If they are genuine in what they say, I look forward to seeing every Tory councillor give up their special allowances with immediate effect, otherwise they should let us get on with dealing with the cuts their heartless, failing, government is inflicting on us.''
February 28th 2019