By Ian Austen  

ian.austen@essnmedia.co.uk

WITH Croydon Council preparing huge spending cuts, its ruling Tories have sparked outrage by backing moves which could see massive increases in allowances for senior councillors.

The pay rises, which are being put off for a year, would see council leader Mike Fisher's "salary" going up from £53,314 to nearly £65,000 a year.

Cabinet members' pay would increase from the existing £43,339 a year to £45,377.

The pay packages were agreed by the council's corporate services committee on Wednesday, at a time when the council is working on finding £70 million of cuts and imposing a pay freeze on its staff.

The changes in earnings are based on figures produced by the Independent Panel on the Remuneration of Councillors in London, which is aiming to see allowance rates for members with special responsibilities equalised across the capital.

Croydon had remained outside that scheme until Wednesday's meeting, and allowances have been considerably lower than in some other boroughs.

The opposition Labour group's anger at the proposed increases has been further fuelled by approval for cutting the basic allowance paid to councillors – the only sum backbenchers get – from £11,880 to £10,597. At the same time four more Conservatives, heading smaller committees and bodies, will be paid an extra allowance for the first time.

Dudley Mead, the council's cabinet member for finance and housing, says there was never going to be a popular time to introduce the new rates, but that he believes there is a need to work towards having a united system in London.

He recognised the proposals will create dismay at a time when public services face cuts, support for voluntary groups is being looked at and some council staff could lose their jobs.

Councillor Mead said: "The cabinet has therefore decided that none of us will take any increase this year. The position will be reviewed in a year's time, in the light of the financial situation existing then."

In another move to soften the blow for backbench councillors it has been agreed to phase in the cut – with 50 per cent being implemented in August and the remainder next April.

Cllr Mead insists the job of being a senior councillor is much more difficult and time-consuming than it used to be, and he pointed out that he works two or three full days a week on council business.

Cllr Tony Newman, leader of the Labour opposition, believes that if the Tories are prepared to put off the rises for a year they should drop the idea altogether.

He said: "For Councillor Fisher to have his snout in the trough, and be seeking to pay himself this outrageous amount at a time when his Government's policies and cuts are seeing so many council staff set to lose their jobs, is frankly disgusting."