A CUMBERLAND councillor has defended the controversial decision to raise members' allowances by nearly 20 per cent - whilst also calling for reforms to the current English remuneration system.

Councillor Roger Dobson (Corby and Hayton, Lib Dems) made the statement in a letter just over a week after the decision to raise allowances had been taken in Carlisle's Civic Centre on Tuesday, November 21 at a meeting of Cumberland Council.

The decision meant that allowances, which will be backdated to the beginning of April, will provide a £14,500 basic yearly rate for every councillor.

In addition, there will be a range of additional allowances for special responsibilities, rising to an additional £24,650 for the leader of the council, at a total cost of £968,523.

The recommendations came from the Independent Remuneration Panel whose chairwoman, Monica Law, gave a presentation ahead of the councillors' debate.

Cumberland was compared with a number of similar local authorities and it was suggested that, by providing a 'reasonable allowance' to members, it would attract a range of councillors to the council, and not just those who could afford it.

But the decision drew swift condemnation from local Conservatives, with James Bainbridge, vice-chairman of Carlisle Conservatives Association calling it 'unjustified' and 'unprincipled'.

In retort, Cllr Dobson defended the allowance increase whilst also calling for the English remuneration system to be brought more in line with its Scottish and Welsh counterparts.

He said: "The fury arises from Conservative and Independent councillors seeking political advantage, whilst ignoring fundamental truths. Councillors deciding their own remuneration is inappropriate, even when recommended by an independent panel.

"At the first meeting of Cumberland Council, I argued that we should not decide our own pay and the remuneration panel should be truly independent.

"Councillors in Scotland and Wales have no say in what they are paid.

"The Welsh Independent Remuneration Panel identified that Councillors work at least three days per week on Council business and argued that Councillors’ pay should be linked to the average pay of their constituents. 

"From April 2023 all Welsh Councillors are paid three-fifths of the All Wales 2021 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings – resulting in an annual basic salary of £17,600.

"Scottish councillors’ pay is determined by statute. Councillors’ pay is linked to Scottish public sector workers. From April 2023 basic salary is £20,099.

"Cumberland’s Independent Panel’s recommendation of £14,500 basic allowance hardly looks extravagant compared with adjacent Scottish councils, and our reduction in councillors numbers from 167 to 46.

"One panel for the whole of England or perhaps four or five regional panels on the Welsh or Scottish model would be far better and free councils to concentrate on more important issues."