Lib Dems launch campaign against 25 per cent allowance hike

LIBERAL democrats from across Cambridgeshire have launched a campaign to reverse a 25 per cent increase in councillor allowances agreed at county hall last Tuesday.

At their regional conference at Cambridge Regional College on Sunday, leader of the Lib Dems at Cambridgeshire County Council, Kilian Burke said: “I know that many of you work in local government and respect the work that councillors do in their communities, but I hope you will agree with me that a 25 per cent pay rise when the council is laying off staff and freezing council tax is not acceptable.

“In order to stop this from going ahead the Liberal Democrats have put a motion to council to rescind the increase.

“We have also started an online petition to give voice to public opinion.”

The increase means means the 69 county councillors will see their basic allowance rise from �7,610 a year to �9,500.

Leader of the council Nick Clarke’s package will rise to �38,000 a year from �29,246. His deputy will be on �26,600 a year and nine others on packages worth more than �20,000 a year each.

Cllr Clarke hit out at the move claiming it was “cheap politics” and the decision was made after a debate that ended in a free vote.

He added: “We have tried to do this in an honourable way, involving the opposition parties from the beginning.”

The Lib Dem motion goes to council on Dec 7.

The petition can be found online at: http://tinyurl.com/6784zw4