Conservative Councillors have put forward an amendment to protect Council staff and reduce Councillors’ special allowances.
A Brighton and Hove Independent Group Notice of Motion to full council is calling on the council to make 3 FTE staff members redundant from Legal and Democratic Services, because their roles are supporting Councillors from the three largest political groups.
Conservatives have argued that these roles are essential for supporting Councillors in fulfilling their democratic duties and have instead put forward an amendment calling on the council to cut extra money paid out to Councillors who are Chairs and Deputy Chairs of Committees. Special Responsibility Allowances for Councillors totalled over £175,000 in the last financial year.
Brighton and Hove City Council’s constitution allows the three largest political groups, who have over 10% of Councillors, to have a Political Assistant to support them in their work for residents of the city.
Cllr Alistair McNair, Leader of the Conservative Group, will say in his speech to Full Council that “Opposition groups don’t have the machinery of the Council behind us to research issues beyond the officer reports, form our policies, or liaise with the press like an administration does.
“Good governance requires good opposition and to fulfil our role it is vital that we have this support. As political groups we don’t just represent the residents of our wards but the voters and supporters of our parties across the city. They look to us to be the Conservative (or Green) voice that they haven’t got in their ward.
“This NoM is deliberately targeting a tiny number of staff, saving almost £200,000, while we as Councillors received almost £1 million in allowances and expenses in the last financial year. Councillors Earthey and Fishleigh should look at the significant cost of Chairs and Deputy Chairs of Committees. Special Responsibility Allowances in total were over £175,000 last financial year.”
Cllr Anne Meadow, Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group said “These staff are picked out in a Notice of Motion and I know of no other staff who would be allowed to be targeted in this way when they are to lose their jobs, and I have been a Councillor for over 27 years.
“These staff have homes to pay for and need to put food on the table and provide for their families, yet here are the new Labour administration ably supported by the Brighton and Hove Independents Party attacking them publicly. Disgraceful. Especially when they could give up their special responsibility allowances. These allowances don’t provide any public service, they do not provide any extra support for residents, they just get pocketed by the local Labour administration as a perk.”
Labour has backed the call by the Brighton and Hove Independents and included proposals in their budget for the 3 FTE Political Assistant posts to be removed, along with 186 posts at the Council.
