The Telegraph and ConservativeHome were yesterday covering proposals to pay councillors more. The piece of work, from a government appointed commission called the Councillors Commission, is due to go to the Communities and Local Government Secretary, Hazel Blears, today.
The proposals apparently include more pay, communications allowances, redundancy pay when councillors are voted out and pensions.
The way that councillors allowances have been transformed from recompense of actual expenses incurred to a mini-salary is not very popular with the electorate and many would see it as a mistake. To take this process further forward would compound the error.
This set of ideas is not new. Back in January an outfit called the New Local Government Network (NLGN) was talking about more pay and pensions, see their press release here and their pamphlet here.
The so-called think tank NLGN seems to be a parking place where Labour party hacks are kept on ice until they are needed. For instance, their director, Chris Leslie, went off to run Gordon Brown’s non-campaign in the summer.
The original report was discussed on the Today programme back then and the since disgraced, convicted and disqualified ex-Labour councillor Miranda Grell went on the show to bat for NLGN and their ideas. She was totally blown off the stage by crusty, retiring independent Robin Page, see previous posting.
Self service has replaced public service. … Now I see self-servers and they want the allowances to match the size of their own egos. And they see Council Tax as a hole in the wall and they can just take the money out.
As we see in Parliament as you pay people more money you don’t necessarily get a better quality of MP or councillor. To call them a golden generation is an absolute joke.
Anyway the latest proposals come from a DCLG commission which is again dominated by Labour types. The chairman of the commission is one Jane Roberts, ex Camden Labour councillor and all round quangocrat. She is also a board member of NLGN so all becomes clear.
Phil Taylor 
One reply on “New appeal for more cash for councillors”
I notice that the NLGN has updated their website since last I looked at it. Then it made reference to its foundation by trade unions and various left-wing councils. Now it talks about its foundation as being by “senior local government figures”. I guess they are rather desperately trying to appear more palatable to the new wave of Conservative and Lib Dem controlled councils – although its noticeable that their only active politician is a Labour one. This sort of thing is a very good reminder of why Conservative-run councils should be wary!
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