Independent councillors say they will not take basic allowance rise

A vote on the matter took place at the full council meeting at St Helens town hall last month.

Councillors noted the outcome of the Independent Remuneration Panel’s review of the council’s members’ allowances scheme, and approved the panel’s recommendation.

Therefore, the basic allowance of councillors will be rising from £8,236 to £9,108 from April.

Some opposition councillors voted against the proposed increase, with the timing criticised amid the backdrop of some of the borough's libraries closing, the budget pressures the local authority faces, and cost of living crisis.

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During the motion debate to increase the basic remuneration, Rainhill independent councillor Donna Greaves said that the following day she was due to sit on a Teams call to hear how the changes to Universal Credit were going to impact our residents.

She said: "I just think during a cost of living crisis, to be seen as councillors to raise the remuneration at this particular time, just feels crass and it feels wrong."

Cllr Donna Greaves said the timing of the increase feels crass and wrong (Image: St Helens Council)

Fellow Rainhill independent Cllr James Tasker, told the Star that Rainhill members have decided to refuse the rise and for the money to remain in the council’s budget.

Cllr Tasker said: “[Last] Friday Rainhill library, which was the third busiest library in St Helens, closed as a council-run amenity for good, along with several other libraries across the borough.

“This is a devastating loss for our community and closing our library also means closing the world-famous Rainhill Trials Exhibition which is housed there.

“How can anyone justify closing libraries due to financial issues, and at the same time give themselves a 10.5 per cent pay rise?"

Cllr James Tasker (Image: St Helens Council)

Cllr Tasker added: “Initially, during last Wednesday’s full council meeting, Cllr Donna Greaves, emailed Democratic Services to ask if we could either refuse the pay rise or donate it to charity.

“Cllr Kate Stevenson (Rainhill independent) added her voice to this and, we had full confirmation that we can refuse the remuneration pay rise individually.

“Following this Rainhill Independent Cllrs have collectively confirmed they do not wish to receive it and therefore it will remain in the council’s budget.

“We would like to thank the other opposition councillors across St Helens who also voted against the rise with similar views about the timing of it.”

It is understood there may be other councillors - including Labour members - who do not take up the increase in basic allowance, which begins in April.

St Helens Council has not provided further comment on the matter since the meeting and say that with the increase only coming into effect in April, some members may not have informed them of their plans.

The increase was approved in a vote at the full council meeting at St Helens town hall (Image: Stock)

The report, which went to full council, said the panel’s recommendation for a 6.44 per cent increase on the members’ allowances budget to be applied to the basic allowance element only, if approved, would amount to an increase of £41,900 on this budget in 2024/25.

Although the allowance budget is rising by 6.44 per cent, the basic allowance of councillors will be rising from £8,236 to £9,108 – which amounts to an increase of 10.58 per cent.

Each local authority must appoint an independent remuneration panel made up of independent people to provide advice on the council’s members’ allowances scheme and make recommendations on changes to the scheme for the council to consider.

Speaking at last month's meeting Peter Bounds, chair of the Independent Remuneration Panel, explained why an increase was being introduced in St Helens, where there has been a decline in allowances due to members choosing not to increase allowances in previous years.

He said: “When undertaking our review of the scheme for St Helens Borough Council, we considered a number of factors including St Helens having the lowest level across all other Liverpool City Region councils, how the National Minimum Wage would be applied to the role, the historic decline of allowances in real terms due to members choosing not to accept an annual increase and the impact of low allowance as a barrier to people wanting to serve these public roles.

“Councillors spend many hours working for the residents in their ward and to make it desirable for people from all walks of life to consider dedicating their time for the benefit of the public they need to not be impacted by the hours the role would take up.

“For a number of years councillors have chosen to not accept an annual uplift on the allowances which is a well-established provision in the scheme but with rising costs and councillor allowances falling behind neighbouring councils the panel agreed to recommend a rise in line with increased council staffing budget of 6.44 per cent.

"This would all be applied to the basic allowance element only.

"We didn’t recommend any increase to the special responsibility allowances in the scheme paid to those councillors who hold special responsibilities such as leader, cabinet member with portfolio responsibilities, chairs of committees, Mayor, opposition leaders of a political group with three or more members and so on."