‘No frills’ Tory council votes through massive pay hikes

The Tory council which last year unveiled plans for an ‘easy council’ model in which residents would be charged extra for services has voted through massive pay increases – doubling the allowances received by cabinet members and increasing the allowances of the council leader by more than 50 per cent. Leader of Barnet council Lynne Hillan will now be able to claim up to £54,000 a year for the role, a rise of nearly £20,000 – on top of a £10,000 basic allowance.

Only one Tory councillor voted against the measures at Hendon town hall last night, Kate Salinger, who has been removed from all her committee posts by the Tory group, and stripped of all her duties. Under the new measures, cabinet allowances are up £17,000 to £34,000, while at the same time, opposition councillors will lose out, gaining minor allowance increases but losing their £500 travel expenses.

Brian-Coleman One of those to benefit from the doubling in cabinet allowances is Brian Coleman (pictured right), in charge of transport and the environment, who was already in receipt of more than £100,000 of taxpayers’ money.

Coleman is a member of the London Assembly, for which he was last year paid £52,910, and is chairman of the London Fire Board – which recently voted itself a 25 per cent pay rise – and for which Coleman is paid £26,833, all in addition to his wages from the council.

A Standard investigation last year put his total cost to the public purse at £104,503.50. Coleman claimed £2,275 travel expenses for eight months in his role as chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority and also ran up a taxi bill of £8,231 in his position as Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden, including a £656 bill on one day.

The pay increases come at a time of “austerity” and massive cuts in public services; indeed, only on Monday, local government minister Grant Shapps said:

“It is not justifiable for hikes in councillor allowances when public sector workers are facing a two-year pay freeze. We’re all in this together, and those who hold public office need to lead by example.”

Coleman, however, says:

“I think residents will be delighted at a sensible scheme within Barnet. The London Councils scheme recognises the work councillors of all parties do. We have to look at allowances every four years and have done what 20 other councils have done…

“The cabinet is getting nothing like its entitled to according to Sir Rodney Brook (report author). I will take the money I’m entitled to. No more, no less.”

http://twitter.com/kristoferkeane/status/18524516862 Kristofer Keane

RT @leftfootfwd: 'No frills' Tory council votes through massive pay hikes: http://bit.ly/bZOceT
http://twitter.com/cllrmattbennett/status/18524565132 Matthew Bennett

RT @leftfootfwd 'No frills' Tory council votes through massive pay hikes: http://bit.ly/bZOceT
http://twitter.com/houseoftwits/status/18524570078 House Of Twits

RT @leftfootfwd 'No frills' Tory council votes through massive pay hikes: http://bit.ly/bZOceT
http://twitter.com/themainstand/status/18524741803 Brian O’Rourke

RT @leftfootfwd: 'No frills' Tory council votes through massive pay hikes: http://bit.ly/bZOceT
http://twitter.com/davidwhe/status/18524783209 David Whewell

RT @leftfootfwd: 'No frills' Tory council votes through massive pay hikes: http://bit.ly/bZOceT
http://twitter.com/jamiepotter/status/18524809368 Jamie Potter

!!! RT @HouseofTwits: RT @leftfootfwd 'No frills' Tory council votes through massive pay hikes: http://bit.ly/bZOceT
http://twitter.com/jc065/status/18524957071 Jamie Cook

RT @leftfootfwd: 'No frills' Tory council votes through massive pay hikes: http://bit.ly/bZOceT
http://twitter.com/grantblowers/status/18525261216 Grant Blowers

Seriously, the public of Barnet really do deserve better RT @leftfootfwd No frills Tory council votes massive pay hikes http://bit.ly/bZOceT
http://twitter.com/oxkev/status/18525276301 Oxford Kevin

RT @leftfootfwd: 'No frills' Tory council votes through massive pay hikes: http://bit.ly/bZOceT
Robert

Nine labour councils in Wales gave its top people pay rises which averages 33.3% this year. They then told the workers in my area 900 jobs are to go due to an over spend. One top official stated he was worried about being head hunted, so needed to ensure he was being paid his worth and was given a rise of 16,000 add this to his bonus his earning are now in the 220,000 range, while a bin man gets 5.86.

So before throwing stones make sure the green house has good quality bullet proof glass.
http://twitter.com/wubeyonekenobi/status/18525490848 Colin Waude

RT @leftfootfwd: 'No frills' Tory council votes through massive pay hikes: http://bit.ly/bZOceT
http://twitter.com/oxfordbloo/status/18525640980 Clare Cochrane

takes the biscuit & see wot they do to traitors RT @leftfootfwd 'No frills' Tory council votes thru massive pay hikes http://bit.ly/bZOceT
http://twitter.com/rooftopjaxx/status/18525828982 RooftopJaxx

RT @jamiepotter: !!! RT @HouseofTwits: RT @leftfootfwd 'No frills' Tory council votes through massive pay hikes: http://bit.ly/bZOceT
http://twitter.com/robertwrobinson/status/18526891635 Robert Robinson

RT @leftfootfwd: 'No frills' Tory council votes through massive pay hikes: http://bit.ly/bZOceT
http://twitter.com/calumhiggins/status/18527751696 Calum Higgins

http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/07/no-frills-tory-council-votes-through-massive-pay-hikes/
http://twitter.com/neilolivier/status/18527856025 Neil Borg-Olivier

RT @leftfootfwd: 'No frills' Tory council votes through massive pay hikes: http://bit.ly/bZOceT
http://bestblogs.labourhome.org/2010/07/14/%e2%80%98no-frills%e2%80%99-tory-council-votes-through-massive-pay-hikes/ ‘No frills’ Tory council votes through massive pay hikes « The best Labour blogs

[...] More… [...]
http://twitter.com/sjrw/status/18531406825 Stephen

RT @leftfootfwd: 'No frills' Tory council votes through massive pay hikes: http://bit.ly/bZOceT
http://twitter.com/runnin4u/status/18534060679 Don Lands

RT @grantblowers: Seriously, the public of Barnet really do deserve better RT @leftfootfwd No frills Tory council votes massive pay hikes http://bit.ly/bZOceT
http://twitter.com/niknamh/status/18535522867 Niknam Hussain

RT @HouseofTwits: RT @leftfootfwd 'No frills' Tory council votes through massive pay hikes: http://bit.ly/bZOceT How's this for "leadership"
http://twitter.com/jruddy99/status/18536463394 John Ruddy

what happened to "we're all in this together"? RT @leftfootfwd 'No frills' Tory council votes through massive pay hikes http://bit.ly/94OFfg
http://twitter.com/unisoneastmids/status/18546653108 UNISON East Midlands

‘No frills’ Tory council votes through massive pay hikes http://is.gd/ds6Na
http://twitter.com/paul0evans1/status/18548859723 Paul Evans

My local council votes through massive pay hikes http://bit.ly/cAWVgA EasyCouncil?
http://twitter.com/listenderry/status/18549045737 ListenDerry

My local council votes through massive pay hikes http://bit.ly/cAWVgA EasyCouncil? via @Paul0Evans1
http://twitter.com/zerocredit_uk/status/18549095658 Emma Bryn-Jones

RT @Paul0Evans1: My local council votes through massive pay hikes http://bit.ly/cAWVgA EasyCouncil?
Mr. Sensible

Shamik, is this another one of ‘Cameron’s Councils’ to freeze council tax?

Where’s the real waste in the public sector?
http://twitter.com/stevewardell/status/18585083873 Steve Wardell

Tory council leads public sector cost cuts http://tinyurl.com/33vpkb5 – thieves get rich, saints get shot and God don't answer prayers a lot
Liz McShane

I heard Brian Coleman being interviewed on R4 yesterday. I couldn’t quite believe my ears at his out & out arrogance & sense of entitlement. Is he living in a parallel universe? he has definitely not subscribed to the Tories’ mantra of:”We are all in this together”….
Mike

worth every penny

the so are teachers, nurses, police officers etc

Pay Justice

but dont forget

“were all in this together”
http://twitter.com/pims50/status/18681379352 pam lorenz

RT @leftfootfwd: 'No frills' Tory council votes through massive pay hikes http://bit.ly/bZOceT
http://twitter.com/politicsofuk/status/18944226021 Politics of UK

How Barnet council cabinet members are sharing the economic pain. By raising allowances. #ukpolitics http://bit.ly/9JZJr4
http://twitter.com/happymrlocust/status/18949735053 Lem

I hope this article is missing something important, else it's enraging beyond belief. http://is.gd/dyDaW
http://twitter.com/schroduck/status/18949928760 Ste

RT @happymrlocust: I hope this article is missing something important, else it's enraging beyond belief. http://is.gd/dyDaW
http://twitter.com/catheeuk/status/18949929684 Cath Ronay

RT @politicsofuk: How Barnet council cabinet members are sharing the economic pain. By raising allowances. #ukpolitics http://bit.ly/9JZJr4
http://twitter.com/barnetbugle/status/18958638134 Barnet Bugle

RT @politicsofuk: How Barnet council cabinet members are sharing the economic pain. By raising allowances. #ukpolitics http://bit.ly/9JZJr4
http://twitter.com/shamikdas/status/24737177353 Shamik Das

@psbook He's a greedy, corrupt f¤&%er! http://is.gd/fexf1
http://twitter.com/shamikdas/status/27723290408 Shamik Das

A reminder of why Brian Coleman's an odious little $**t: http://bit.ly/bZOceT
http://twitter.com/debsalini/status/27729145300 Deborah Segalini

RT @shamikdas: A reminder of why Brian Coleman's an odious little $**t: http://bit.ly/bZOceT
Deborah Segalini

This is the same council that will be cutting the education support workforce by 80% in April. That’s 80% of primary and secondary consultants – the people who help schools to improve their teaching of children.
“Odious little sh*t” is putting it a little too mildly for me.
http://twitter.com/shamikdas/status/5218364578332672 Shamik Das

@psbook C also http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/07/no-frills-tory-council-votes-through-massive-pay-hikes/ Blaady hypocrites!
http://twitter.com/shamikdas/status/5218534648971264 Shamik Das

RT @psbook: NEW –> Tories award council leader 40% pay rise while cutting services http://bit.ly/bis2cx – C also http://bit.ly/bZOceT
http://twitter.com/petergcampbell/status/5219180349497344 Peter Campbell

Cuts? What cuts? http://tinyurl.com/2cpn3p3 and http://tinyurl.com/33vpkb5 #sameoldTories H/T @shamikdas
http://twitter.com/psbook/status/5220311989489664 Political Scrapbook

Tory councillors have form for awarding themselves pay hikes while slashing services. See this from @shamikdas: http://bit.ly/bOlNtg
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/01/freedom-of-information-spending-cuts/ Freedom of information could unlock true scale of coalition cuts | Left Foot Forward

[...] Union, Hencke used his blog to expose the income of the chair of the London Fire Brigade, Brian Coleman, who he named “Britain’s highest paid [...]