Martin Whybrow “Distgusted with vote”
Hythe and Marsh County Tory Councillors vote for 15% pay increase… but not every councillor did!Councillor Martin Whybrow was along with several other opposition councillors voting against a 15% pay increase for county Councillors.
Matyin told The Looker: “”Every opposition KCC member voted against it and, along with others, I spoke passionately to reject it. I had an inkling the Tory proposal was coming but still couldn’t quite believe it when I saw it there in black and white at the full council meeting. I used the words ‘staggering’ and ‘unacceptable’ in the full council debate, I think other appropriate words might be ‘grubby, greedy and grasping’. It is a kick in the teeth to KCC staff who face yet more job cuts, to so many residents who are struggling due to welfare and front-line service cuts, and to public sector workers still burdened with the 1% pay cap.
At the start of the full council meeting, KCC leader, Paul Carter, admitted the huge challenge that we are experiencing meeting the current budget and yet, straight after the election, they do this. They ignored the advice of the Independent Members Remuneration Panel for a modest increase (I wouldn’t even have accepted its suggested 1.5% increase, personally) and the whole thing has left a really bad taste in the mouth. KCC members’ allowances are already ahead of those of most other councils around the country, even without this hike.
They hope, of course, that by doing this at the start of the four-year county council cycle, it will be forgotten come the next elections – a typical political ploy, to do all the unpopular stuff in the first year. I intend to use the gift-aid scheme to donate my increase to charity.”
By the way, you can watch the debate here, under item 10: https://democracy.kent.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx…
With the local marsh By election this week It is noted that when Tory Russell Tilson was deputy leader of the Conservative party until he lost his seat, that he also was in favour of a similar increase for Shepway Councillors! How convenient would that be if he was re elected next week?
voted for the increase
Romney Marsh Tory Councillor Tony Hills said; “Yes I voted for it as you can see from my voting record…lets see how many of the Lab & Dems who voted against it…still take the money! The main concern of the ‘oppo’s’ was how will this play with the public! Not the need of Kent to be better represented in the future rather than retired ‘millionaires’…if they don’t like it…don’t vote for me in the future, I will always do what I think is right…just like ‘investigation’ for a nuclear depository…and they threatened to ‘lynch’ me then! It’s a ‘knee jerk’ reaction not nothing the real facts just reacting to a headline! They all think we ‘bent’, well you know different…let them print the leaflets, walk the streets and take the abuse…mob rule
?Paul gets about 42k for running a 1.5 billion pound business…all councils are facing problems of recruitment…you pay peanuts…and you get the…look at NRTC!!!”
Council workers and other public sector workers have had their pay capped at 1 %
Steven Streeter said; “so these councillors think they are worth 15 times more than hard working people who week in week out do 40 plus hours a week many for much less money than these so called important people! Have you ever seen them in action? Half spend most of the meetings asleep…It’s disgusting!”
What do you think…Do the councillors deserve a15% pay rise? Or would you rather see, Teachers, Nurses Fire-fighters and the police get more than the 1% that is on offer?
Contact The Looker: info@thelooker.co.uk
