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[Phil UKIP]

Frontline services should be the priority not councillor allowances

I read with total dismay that Hartlepool council is considering raising councillor allowances by 13% by 2015. It's depressing to read that the plan is for an immediate increase of £500 to the basic allowance paid to all councillors together with a one off payment of a further £250 to cover backdating the first part of the increase to April 2013.

This whole situation is unbelievable councils and councillors should focus on protecting front line services such as bus services, schools and policing. Councillors should not be lining their own pockets and increasing their allowances especially in difficult economic times when everyone is struggling.

UKIP policy is to cut councillors excessive allowances and expenses. I strongly urge all councillors from all political parties to reject the remuneration panel's proposed increases in councillor's allowances at Thursday's council meeting.

Phillip Broughton Hartlepool PPC for the 2015 General Election

[DRiddle]

You're a little bit 'behind the wave' on this one Mr Broughton.

This is a letter I sent to all councillor much earlier today.

Dear fellow councillors,

I am writing with regard to the agenda item included in Thursdays' full council meeting, concerning councillors allowances.

I have read the report carefully and irrespective of the views of the Independent Remuneration Panel, I am writing to urge all members to unanimously vote "against" any increase in allowances.

As you are aware, I have only been a councillor for some six weeks or so.
It is partly because of this, I feel I have a much clearer view on the mood of our townsfolk regarding their feelings toward our council at present. I genuinely believe some elected members have lost touch with our electorate, or perhaps worse still, are consciously opting to ignore their views.

Gentlemen, Ladies, fellow members, be assured, if we vote "for" to a raise in councillors allowances on Thursday, it will serious damage even further the reputation of our council. Many residents of our town continue to live hand to mouth via food banks. Services including libraries, schools and such like are desperate for funding.

We, the towns elected councillors, have to be seen to lead by example.

Accepting an increase in allowances in a time of severe austerity is morally wrong. In percentage terms, the proposed increases are tantamount to a 13% rise in a councillors' basic allowance. Compare that to the public sector workers who are likely to strike soon over a potential remuneration rise of just 1%.

I realise I have outspoken views and that I am far from 'popular' with certain elected members. However, I firmly believe I am 100% correct on this issue. It is crucial to the reputation of our council that we all vote not to accept any proposed rise.

This is not about our various political views or national parties, or any personal rivalry or vendettas.

This is about morality.

We need to find common ground on this issue and stand together. The simplest way I can clarify my views on this matter is to remind you that we need to take our town forward.
We need to take our council forward. We need to instil a specific value, both in our electorate and in ourselves, to make this happen: that value being morality.

One man encapsulated my feelings in a sentence when he stated "It is the moral force which carries a movement forward".

That man was Kier Hardy, founding father of the Labour Party. Please join me in doing the right thing and vote "against" any proposed rise.

Kind regards

Councillor Riddle

[pensionater]

I know i don't usually agree with you Driddle,but bravo,well done and keep it up.

[the_exile]

DRiddle, Have you definately sent this this letter to every Town Councillor?

If the answer to that is yes then well done you, I would appreciate further updates on any feedback you receive from the respective members of the Council.

The rank and file townspeople do not support the majority in the Town Council. The biggest issue in this town is actually getting people to vote. \That is the challenge to bot you and Ohillip Broughton next year getting people to get their behinds into the polling station

[The Great Dictator]

You can always refuse your increase ?

[veggismiennicht]

AS MOST COUNCIL MEETINGS ARE TO BE HELD DURING THE DAY IN HARTLEPOOL SURELY ANYONE WHO IS GIVEN TIME OFF BY THERE EMPLOYER ie local official or other public bodies employees snould have there allowances stoped proportianately to the hours they are paid for otherwise they are getting paid twice once for not doing there job  if not there allowance stopped then maybe there pay this would cut the budget deficit of some public body   

[one direction]

DRiddle, Have you definately sent this this letter to every Town Councillor?

Just to be pedantic! Town Councillors do not receive any allowances anyway. They do the job voluntarily and indeed until recently they were almost always none party political. Town Councils are Parish Councils with inflated egos!

Hartlepool Council is a Unitary Authority.

[one direction]

If there is loads of spare cash floating about......?

http://raceforlife.cancerresearchuk.org/choose-your-event/hartlepool.html?event=201

[DRiddle]

Yes i have sent it to all 33 councillors.

[The Great Dictator]

One Direction..........None political party, not in my lifetime, where have you been for the last 100 years ?

[one direction]

Traditionally Parish and Town Council candidates stood for election as individuals and not as party candidates. Of course people active in politics at District, County or Unitary Authority level where they are party members are not banned from also being Parish or Town Councillors.  I think Jim Ainslie is a Headland Town Councillor and also one of the Headland and Harbour Ward Labour Councillors. Lots of wanabee politicians used to start on Town and Parish Councils as they can often get "elected" unopposed since these posts dont get any allowances and so are almost impossible to fill. They do let the people doing the job call themselves "Councillor" which looks good on the CV when they go for a real (ie PAID) councillor job.

[WhatsHappeningNow]

sadly i predict this will get passed.

[marky]

sadly i predict this will get passed.

I think you're right. CAB's previous plan to get the sheep's allowance raised through the back door by linking it to the introduction of the living wage went pear-shaped. He's running out of options to keep his foot soldiers content.

[one direction]

So are allowances a salary for being a councillor or are they supposed to compensate for lost earnings? If they are a salary then they must be linked to minimum wage? Which say £6,000 a year at £6 an hour is 1,000 hours or 20 hours a week? If I was an employer giving my staff 20 hours a week off work to be a councillor then I'm sure I wouldn't be very happy!

If it is to compensate for lost earningsthen surely the councillor would need to show that they have lost those earning? Do retired pensioners get theur pensions cut if they become councillors? Is a councillors allowance deducted from unemployment benefits? How does it work? Or is it just a way of bunging cash to the party faithfull and a tool to keep them in line? Don't rock the boat or we'll take away your extra pocket money!

[steveL]

Councillors used to claim 'out-of-pocket expenses' and that was pretty much it. It was a Government thing (I forget which Government) to introduce a flat payment or 'allowance'. There was some logic to this as the amount of monthly admin involved in submitting and paying 'expenses' was quite substantial and wide open to both confusion and abuse. There was also lots of inconsistency between councils as to what could and could not be claimed.

Over time, this allowance has slowly become viewed as a salary and I distinctly remember CAB making statements about 'a fair days pay for a fair days work'.

Allowances are taxable and are taken into account when the recipient receives benefits of any sort which has helped the shift in attitude to see allowances as a 'salary'. Because of this and, depending on individual circumstances, councillors receiving benefits and/or pensions can actually lose out if much of their allowance is spent on expenses for their councillor activities.