So-called pay rises handed out to the new political heads at Runnymede Borough Council have been branded “absolutely embarrassing” by a former leader. Following the May 2024 election the council found itself without a single party able to command a majority.
Councillors then voted on a new model with four parties sharing leadership under what it calls an alliance; opponents refer to it as a coalition. In one of the first moves under the new system, the council agreed to split the old leadership responsibility allowances among the new leaders - with additional money being given to the chair and deputy of the corporate management committee.
It is argued that the extra time needed by the councillors in their respective roles merited an increase in money received. Opposition members said that if the previous work of two councillors (leader and deputy) was being split between four people, then extra money is not necessary, and should instead be used to fund community projects. Furthermore, if the new leaders can not find the time to carry out the roles, they argued, should they even be putting themselves forward?
READ MORE: The nine Surrey train stations getting contactless pay-as-you-go next month
READ MORE: Nearly 100 flats planned for Staines in former office block
Councillor John Furey (Conservative, Addlestone South) led the borough between 2006 to 2011. During the last full meeting of the council he said: “Here we have a mayor who is working her wonderful wings off and we have a new coalition that can’t do anything other than increase their allowances for the first two months. I find that embarrassing, absolutely embarrassing.”
Runnymede councillors receive an allowance that is supposed to represent about 50 per cent of the time they give up to fulfil the role. Different positions within the council also get special responsibility top-ups to reflect the extra time expected of them.
The co-leaders will get £4,249 in addition to their basic £5,500, which all councillors get regardless of whether they attend any meetings, for a total of £9,749. With the chair of the corporate management committee taking home a further £11,330, it means new co-leader Councillor Robert King will collect an annual allowance of £21,079.
Fellow co-leader, Councillor Linda Gillham will get £5,665 as the vice chair of the corporate management committee - for an annual total of £15,414. Opposition leader Cllr Peter Snow (Conservative, Addlestone South) said: “The recommendation puts forward no written evidence for a whopping increase in their allowance.
“I've so many questions like how does Councillor Robert King come to this decision when neither he nor Cllr Gillham have practical on the job experience. How was the 120 per cent increase arrived at?”
He added: “Last corporate management committee stated that this money was in the budget. I would much rather this money would be for more worthwhile services like paying the council tax for a dedicated youth centre in Chertsey. Only eight weeks into the job and running at less than 50 per cent capacity how can Councillor King consider the job is too big and therefore has no alternative but to give up the day job and work for Runnymede Borough Council? There is simply no mechanism to allow this.”
He said he had spoken with three previous borough leaders who described the workload as “extreme, continuous and never ending”. Cllr Snow added: “Does not the four co-leader structure alleviate the alleged hardship? If Cllr King and Gillham are not able to carry out their duties within a reasonable weekly time frame then can they not call upon (the other co-leaders) as they both received the same allowance and have equal responsibility within the coalition?"
A spokesman for Runnymede Borough Council said: “The changes to the allowances paid to our senior councillors are well within the budget set for this area of our spending. They reflect our new political leadership arrangements, and the increased level of responsibility and time which leading councillors need to commit to scrutinising large amounts of complex information and giving overall direction to the Council as a whole.
“All our councillors give a considerable amount of personal time to their public duties. They do not receive a monthly salary and are not paid by the hour, but receive a fixed taxable allowance to recognise their contribution. This arrangement is the same for local authorities around the country.”
Get more news from SurreyLive straight to your inbox for free here.
