Councillors set for inflation-busting pay rise in Coventry...

A vote will be taken next week



More than £1 million was paid out in allowances to Coventry councillors last year – and they are poised to approve a pay increase next week.

Councillors will vote on a new Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2020-2024 at full council on Tuesday, December 8, after the last one expired in March.

Some councillors at other local authorities have already rejected their proposed pay rises due to financial struggles resulting from the pandemic.

Coventry is also facing significant Covid-19 pressures – an expected cost of £36.3m this year – although the ruling Labour group at the council have indicated no plans to reject the increase.

The opposition Conservative group is set to discuss their stance with members on Monday.

The report comes as new annual figures show £1,047,073.09 was paid to elected councillors between April 1 2019 to March 31 2020 last year.

That includes a basic allowance of £14,102 each and an extra ‘special responsibility allowance’ for roles such as cabinet members, deputies, or committee chairs. All could be increasing under the new scheme after an Independent Remuneration Panel proposed to retain an existing provision to increase allowances each year in line with pay increases made to council employees – 2.75% this year.

The panel has said this will “reflect increases in costs of living and inflation”.

It means each allowance will rise by 2.75%. Basic allowance will rise £387.80 to £14,489.80, cabinet members will see their allowance rise £310.28 to £11,592.28, while the leader’s allowance will rise £698.03 to £26,081.

A final decision will rest with councillors at full council next week.

Council leader George Duggins, who could receive an extra £1,085.83 if approved, said: “The linkage means that we are in line with our employees. This should have been implemented in April this year.

“Furthermore we are not seeking a full allowance review which we are entitled to.”

The panel has said this will “reflect increases in costs of living and inflation”.

The official rate of inflation is 0.5% not 2.75%

If they were paid by results they'd owe us.

It demonstrates the utter contempt they have for the people who voted for them, many of whom have had their earnings drastically reduced or been put out of work altogether.