Local Councillors Defend 19% Pay Rise

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Say the proposed increase in allowances is the first in eight years

Local Councillors have defended the nearly 20 per cent rise in allowances at last week's Council meeting, saying that it had fallen well behind the expenses of councillors in other boroughs. They said the levels had not seen an increase since 2010.

A report was presented to Hounslow Council last Tuesday evening (24 July) recommending significant increases in the allowances paid to councillors and a vote was taken in favour of the increase.

The proposal is for 19% rise in the basic allowance to £11,405. This is paid to all councillors as compensation for attending meetings and handling case work. Allowances were considered in February 2018 but no change was recommended. The new proposal will back-date the rises to 8 May of this year, the day after the local elections. The cost of the increase is predicted to be around £100,000 per annum.

The recommendations attracted cross-party support in the Council meeting. However some local residents believe that it is too high an increase at a time when others in the public sector, such as teachers, are not receiving increases.

Asked about the increase, a statement on behalf of the nine Chiswick councillor (all Conservatives) said : "The last time that the allowances for Hounslow Councillors were changed was in 2010 when councillors agreed unanimously to a 10% cut to reflect the serious and chronic nature of the international financial crisis.

"Councillors allowances were last actually increased twelve years ago, in 2006. The Hounslow allowances had over time become seriously out of line with those paid to councillors in most other London Boroughs. The change will align Hounslow councillors' allowances with the average for other London Borough's.

"A mechanism has also been agreed for keeping future increases in councillors' allowances linked to those given to local authority employees."

Special Responsibility Allowances which are paid to office holders and the chairs of Council committees are to be reviewed in the Autumn.

The new level of basic allowances are based on recommendations from an Independent Remuneration Panel convened by London Councils. Allowances in Hounslow have not been significantly reviewed since 2010 and it is argued that case work has increased considerably then particularly with social media making councillors more accessible to their constituents.

Going forward the rate of allowances is to be pegged to any annual increase in council staff pay.

July 27, 2018