User Rating: / 1
PoorBest 

It has been revealed that Westminster's councillors collected over £885,000in "allowances" in the 12 months to March 2009. This is up 26 per cent in just two years.

Each councillor is entitled to a 'basic' allowance of £10,250. Most also qualify for a further 'special responsibility allowance'. This year, for example, the Leader of the Council will collect £42,000 as a special responsibility allowance on top of his basic allowance. A small number of councillors also claim amounts for subsistence, including travel.

The total amount paid out to councillors rose from £704,836 in the 2006/07 financial year, to £885,211 in 2008/09. In the last three financial years, just short of £2.5m has been spent on councillors' allowances in Westminster.

All councillors also get a £1,000 bonus when they are first elected, and again every time they are re-elected. This is intended to cover the cost of computer equipment.

Mark Blackburn, the chair of the local Liberal Democrats and also the party's parliamentary candidate for Westminster North, is calling for "deep cuts" in councillors' allowances.

Commenting, he said, "At the time of the last council elections, in 2006, these allowances were much lower. At that time, the basic allowance was £2,950 less than it is today. Some of the biggest rises went to the Deputy Leader of the Council, who has seen his allowance more than double. The Leader of the Labour Opposition has also done very well, with an 83 per cent jump in his special responsibility allowance.

"Unlike many local council areas, Westminster is very compact. That means it is very easy and cheap to get around. Allowances for councillors here do not therefore need to be as high as they are. There is plenty of scope for deep cuts that save taxpayers' money."

He has outlined specific plans: "I am calling for all councillors' allowances here in Westminster to be cut back to those, much lower, 2006 levels. I would also cut in half the £1,000 payment for computer equipment. We have gone through the numbers, and these savings would add up to something like £1m over four years.

Comment: We can't help thinking that this has a striking resemblance to the expenses claims by MP's at Westminster. Perhap WCC's councillors also need to get their house in order.