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Why we need salary
• FOR those councillors who only receive the basic allowance, our rise is indeed above inflation (Pay rise for councillors, April 27).
This rise works out at less than £10 a week, not enough to stop those colleagues who live on their allowance from needing working tax credits to supplement their income. Many backbench councillors effectively receive less than the minimum wage for the hours they devote to the council.
With the current rate of inflation around three per cent, and interest rates more than five per cent, the executive councillors are getting less than one per cent rise in their allowance.
I am grateful our executive is made up of a diverse group of councillors prepared to give up their jobs to commit to running Islington full time. If executive members were not offered an allowance equivalent to a full-time salary, the only councillors available for the executive would be the retired and those who do not need to work because they have wealthy partners.
CLLR BARBARA SMITH
Lib Dem, Canonbury ward |
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