Stockport councillors vote AGAINST increasing their basic allowance
Councillors in Stockport last night voted against increasing their basic allowance by £2,500.
The uplift was proposed by an independent remuneration panel which would have seen the base rate given to councillors rise from £10,716 to £13,286 a year.
This money is given to elected members to cover the cost of their work for the council, but many councillors juggle their roles with other commitments and jobs.
Across Greater Manchester, basic allowances at councils range from between £10,400 up to £18,800, according to a report from the independent remuneration panel for Stockport council.
Councillors with extra responsibilities are also given a special responsibility allowance, such as the £32,150 paid to the Stockport council leader – which could have risen to £39,859 if the remuneration panel's proposals were accepted.
But a joint proposal by the leaders of the Stockport Lib Dem and Labour groups stated that it would be 'wrong to accept' such an increase in allowances while the town hall is facing major budget pressures and having to make savings of £21m for 2026/27.
The proposal stated that 'councillors should not be required to vote for their own pay' and floated an idea for central government of 'a mechanism that avoids this, as has been the case for MPs for some time.'
"Much as I respect the views of the independent remuneration panel and thank them for the work they have done on our behalf, I believe we have to accept the reality of the situation we find ourselves in," said council leader Mark Hunter.
"In my view, we are in the invidious position of being recommended to vote for an increase in allowances which we know would – understandably – be completely unacceptable to the public we serve."
Cllr Hunter added that there was "no way" the proposals could have been accepted "on the back of some very tough choices we have had to make only recently, with even more tough choices to come."
But after the meeting others highlighted that councillors "put in an extraordinary amount of time" working on behalf of the public.
Posting on Facebook, Edgeley Cllr Asa Caton said that rejecting the proposed uplift was "the correct decision", but explained that a lot of work done by elected members to deliver services with the council "isn't necessarily seen" by residents.
He added: "I never entered politics for money. I entered politics to serve a community that has been my home for 20 years.
"That said, I am self-employed and time spent conducting council business is time not spent earning a living. I don't expect any sympathy but that is the reality."
A survey sent to Stockport councillors last year revealed that most spend between 20 and 30 hours a week on their council duties, with the mean average being 22.7 hours.
The proposal agreed at the council meeting on 3 April did accept some increases relating to various non-councillor co-optees allowances.
Stockport's financial situation has led to a number of changes in the recent budget which passed in February, including introducing a £59 permit for garden waste collections, and a council tax rise of 4.99 per cent.
These decisions were taken off the back of the council having to sign off on a plan to make £26m worth of savings to balance the books.
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