Councillors voted against taking a pay cut at a tense meeting of Knowsley Council tonight.
A special meeting had been called to discuss a Knowsley Labour group proposal to freeze councillor’s allowances in the light of the cost of living crisis – with the £20k saved by forgoing rises going towards care leavers in the borough.
However, a counter resolution was put forward by the leader of the opposition, Green party councillor Kai Taylor, to go one step further and approve a 5% pay cut.
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According to Cllr Taylor’s motion this would generate a further £33k that could be put towards care leavers in Knowsley.
Following a brief adjournment where Labour councillors met behind closed doors to discuss the Green's motion, the meeting turned fractious as leader of the council, Cllr Graham Morgan spoke against the proposed cut.
Cllr Morgan said there was a “proper process” by which such proposals should be considered – by an independent review board that meets periodically to look at counicllor’s allowances - instead of the special meeting.
Cllr Aston claimed it was a political stunt by the Green party, prompting a terse response from Cllr Taylor who asked who was really in charge of Knowsley Labour, accusing Cllr Aston of “passing notes” to leader Cllr Morgan during the debate.
Cllr Taylor said: “This is not an autocracy” adding that amid growing numbers of opposition councillors in the borough, listening to different parties was something the ruling Labour group would have to “get used to.”
A further row then erupted over remarks made by Cllr Aston that the motion was intended to fill Green party leaflets. Cllr Taylor accused Cllr Aston of being “obsessed” with Green literature, saying: “Cllr Aston spends more time thinking about Green party literature than I do, she’s fascinated.”
He added: “Do your own leaflets. You’re more than welcome to talk to the electorate, you don’t have to do it via Knowsley news and Twitter.”
A vote was held on the Green party resolution with only the Greens and independents voting in favour of taking a 5% pay cut. The ruling Labour group and Liberal democrat councillors voted in opposition to the motion, meaning it was defeated.
Speaking on the original Labour motion to freeze councillor allowances, Cllr Aston urged members of the full council to “not get bogged down in the other issues” while accusing the Greens of presenting a “gimmick” of a counter motion.
She added: “I hope that everybody in the community understands the reason why we put our motion forward tonight to support our residents in a very difficult time.”
Liberal democrat leader Cllr Carl Cashman said that he would support the motion but called on Cllr Morgan to rethink the appointment of an additional cabinet member, at a cost of £13k, which occurred last year.
Cllr Morgan thanked Cllr Cashman for the Liberal Democrat support, adding the extra cabinet member was necessary due to a restructuring of the health service and was “working well.”
Cllr Taylor said the Greens would also support the motion, but added that he was “disappointed” Labour councillors had opted for the “bare minimum.”
He said it “is the best we can accept from this Labour group so we’ll take it” asking Labour councillors to “go home tonight and think whether that 5% was really that important, whether they think it’s right for them not to shoulder the burden.”
Referring once again to the Green’s now defeated motion for a cut in allowances, Cllr Aston said: “There are mechanisms that Cllr Taylor and his colleagues can go down if they wish and they’re really serious about it.”
Members then voted to approve the resolution, meaning councillors in Knowsley will see neither cut nor rise in their allowances this year.
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