As I mentioned in my previous post on the 25 per cent pay increase that the County Councillors voted for last week, the game is not over yet.
Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats in a motion to Cambridgeshire County Council on December 7, will call for the increase in members’ allowances to be rescinded and the previous scheme reinstated .
If successful, this would mean the increases will never come into effect. They have also started an online petition calling for county councillors to support this motion.
Lib Dem Leader Kilian Bourke said:
“People have made various arguments for increasing allowances, and at a different time these might even be considered reasonable. But councillors cannot give themselves a 25 per cent pay rise at a time of wage freezes, redundancies, and cuts to frontline council services that affect the most vulnerable.”
“I have therefore put a motion to council on December 7 calling for this week’s decision to be rescinded and the previous scheme to be re-implemented. If this motion is passed, these increases will not become effective at all.”
Motion to Full Council to Stop 25 per cent pay rise
The full text of the Lib Dem motion that Cllr Kilian Bourke has put to full council reads as follows:
This council notes:
The decision made at full council on 18/10/2011 to approve the Independent Remuneration Panel’s recommendations regarding councillors’ allowances, which included:
- An increase of the Leader’s special responsibility allowance from £22,246 to £28,500 (total allowance £38,000);
- An increase of each cabinet member’s special responsibility allowance from £11,659 to £14,250 (total allowance £23,750);
- An increase in the councillor’s basic allowance from £7,610 to £9,500;
Considers that, in the current context of pay freezes, redundancies and cuts to frontline services including those affecting the least well off and most vulnerable, this is not appropriate;
Resolves to rescind the previous decision to implement the new scheme and re-implement the old scheme with immediate effect.
Cllr Bourke also goes on to say that
“I have also set up a petition on the county council website to let local people to pressure their democratic representatives to vote the right way. I urge people to sign it.”
“The Liberal Democrats firmly opposed this increase and now we want to reverse it. That is the right outcome and I am confident we will get it.”
The Lib Dems officially launched their campaign at their regional conference on Saturday, October 22 at Cambridge Regional College.
Petition to stop 25 per cent pay rise
The petition to stop the 25 per cent pay rise is in two formats, online and on paper.
The online petition is now available on the county council’s website.
Please click here to sign the online petition today.
The paper copy of petition is available to download, if you wish to help us with the campaign.
Please click here to download the paper copy of the petition
It is important that all those signing the petition provided their address and postcode to show the local connection.
Please pass on this message to friends and neighbours so that this inappropriate decision can be reversed.