Brighton councillors’ allowances will go up even though some wanted to extend a two-year freeze

Labour and Green councillors voted for a series of increases including a rise in the basic allowance from £13,593 to £14,218.20.

Conservative and Independent councillors criticised the decision at Brighton and Hove City Council’s “annual council meeting” at Brighton Town Hall today (Thursday 16 May).

Labour councillor Julie Cattell said that allowances were last reviewed five years ago, adding that proposals from the council’s Independent Remuneration Panel recognised extra work carried out by ward councillors and the freeze over the past two years.

Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Bridget Fishleigh said that she was not motivated by money to serve as a councillor, adding that the increases looked bad when people were struggling to pay their bills.

Fellow Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Mark Earthey asked the council to not take the increase in the current financial year and to review the proposals to keep the total within £949,000.

Councillor Earthey said: “Brighton is not a rich city. While it clearly has some wealthy inhabitants, many thousands of residents are experiencing real financial hardship due to the ‘cost of living crisis’.

“This crisis shows no real signs of abating, no matter what we are being told by over-optimistic politicians who excel in the art of self-delusion.”

He said that there was no “magic bullet” to solve the financial crisis that has seen cuts to public services.

Green councillor Sue Shanks said that when allowances were frozen in 2022 it seemed like the right thing to do in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and budget pressures.

She said: “I do think we should reward people adequately for being councillors. A third of the recommended allowances are taken off because we’re doing this as a public service.

“It’s an independent body. There’s no point in having an independent body and saying we don’t agree with them.”

Conservative councillor Anne Meadows criticised the council for putting up allowances after making redundant three political assistants.

She said: “Three members of staff had their lives turned upside down so you could have a pay rise when you moved to the cabinet model.

“Not content with enormous pay rises for the 10 cabinet members, you also have to pay for all those Labour advisers to the cabinet.

“Crikey! You’ve got more paid advisers than Tony Blair had when he was running the government.”

Council deputy leader Jacob Taylor criticised Councillor Meadows and said that they were necessary to enable people from poorer backgrounds to take part in local politics.

He quoted the Chartists calling for “payment of members thus enabling honest tradesmen, working men or women, or other people to serve when taken from their business to serve the interests of the country”.

Three Independent councillors voted against the rise while Conservatives abstained, with Labour and Green councillors voting in favour.

The changes include a 6.3 per cent rise in the leader’s allowance from £48,135.37 to £51,185 while the two deputy leaders will receive £31,777 – up 8 per cent from £29,383.20.

The other seven cabinet members will receive a total of £27,156.

The opposition leader, Green councillor Steve Davis, will receive a total of £26,417 – up 2.9 per cent.