Sagal Abdi-Wali

CAMDEN will spend roughly £130,000 on hiking councillors’ allowances.

The new package of increases put forward by the ruling Labour group will see the basic allowance rise to £15,592, although a large proportion of members also receive extra money for various roles such as cabinet members who will collect £42,352 a year. Most of these councillors also have private work.

But Green councillor Lorna Russell told Monday’s budget-setting: “We’ve spent the last hour talking about how finances in this council are really stretched. We know that national government cuts have made things really difficult for us to provide those vital services that we need. We know that people are waiting weeks and weeks for the repair of damp and mould in their flats.

“We know that major works programmes have been cancelled and yet we are stood here today to give ourselves a 17.6 per cent pay rise. Like, honestly, that’s £129,000. That money could be better spent on helping our residents.”

Liberal Democrat councillor Matthew Kirk said the scale of the proposal was “unconscionable, inequitable and should be rejected.”

But the Labour councillors found an ally in Conservative group leader Councillor Gio Spinella who said it was right to give members more money.

“I’ve never liked these populist calls that councillor allowances should somehow be frozen – these calls have undermined the importance and significance of the role of councillor and the accessibility to such a role, which demands time and takes a lot of energy,” he said.

Labour councillor Sagal Abdi-Wali, the chair of Camden’s audit committee, said Camden’s allowances had “consistently remained below” the suggested amount for inner London boroughs advised by an independent remuneration panel.

She said that these figures were aimed at making it possible for a more diverse range of candidates to be councillors to come forward, adding: “So it’s not just people who are retired or can afford to be councillors in this sort of role – and ultimately this will be much more better for our democracy and our borough and the voices that are in the chamber.”