Expenses on the up

Swindon councillors' allowances and expenses are set to rise by 15 per cent this year.

In 2003/2004, councillors were allocated £443,600 for basic allowances and other expenses.

Over the new municipal year, which starts tomorrow, they will be entitled to claim from a kitty of £509,800 a rise of 15 per cent.

The basic annual allowance available to each of Swindon's 59 councillors has risen from £5,300 to £6,200 this year.

Special responsibility allowances for senior councillors are also set to rise.

The leader of the council, Mike Bawden, stands to receive £11,400 on top of his basic allowance up from £9,800 last year.

And cabinet members will be able to claim £5,300 on top of their basic allowance up from £4,500.

The increases are not going to stop there.

Next year, in 2005/2006, councillors' basic allowances are to rise to £7,000.

Coun Bawden, assuming he is still council leader, will be able to claim £13,000 on top of that giving him a total allowance of £20,000.

And cabinet members will see their special allowance rise to £6,000.

This is before travel and subsistence expenses have been added.

Members who sit on outside bodies such as the Local Government Association, regional assembly and Regional Development Agency may claim expenses for travel, meals and hotel stays incurred from their council work.

Rates for travel expenses this year are 30p per mile for bicycles, 40p per mile for cars and 16.5p for motorbikes.

The councillors' allowances and expense rises have been set by the Independent Remuneration Panel, which will meet again later this year to set the levels for the next few years.

The publication of councillors' expenses and allowances for 2003/04 reveals that Coun Bawden (Con, Old Town and Lawn) was the biggest beneficiary, taking home £15,626.

Coun Bawden was unavailable for comment yesterday, but cabinet member Jemima Milton, who claimed the fourth highest amount, said: "Swindon is getting a good deal. What we claim back are out-of-pocket expenses not jollies."

Coun Milton (Con, Wroughton and Chiseldon), said she spent 25 hours a week on council work.

Her costs included childcare and travelling the eight miles to and from her home to the council's Civic Offices.

"Councillors in Swindon have some of the lowest allowances for unitary authorities," she said.

Defending the decision by members to accept a 15 per cent rise in allowances and expenses this year, Coun Milton said: "There's no point in having an independent panel if you're not going to go with their recommendation."

In second place in this year's expenses league table is former Labour leader Kevin Small (Western) who claimed £13,855.

Coun Small said some of his allowance would have arisen out of his leadership of the council in 2003.

And his involvement with the Local Government Association and other outside bodies would also have incurred extra travel and other costs.

"When you look at the work put in by councillors there has always been universal agreement across the parties that Swindon people get their councillors on the cheap," said Coun Small.

"People don't realise the work we have to do."

The highest claiming Lib Dem was Wendy Johnson (Old Town and Lawn), on £7,021.

Part of her allowance was for chairing the scrutiny review board.

"No councillor does what they do simply for what allowances they get," she said.

"Councillors are pretty dedicated and put in an awful lot of hours, because they want to put something back in to the community."

But are they worth it?

Let us know whether you think Swindon councillors are right to vote themselves a 15 per cent rise in their allowances and expenses.

To vote Yes call 0901 031 2602

To vote No call 0901 031 2603

Andy Tate