Tories Cost You More!

12.06.30pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 4th Jun 2008

Liberal Democrats on Warwick District Council have revealed the true cost of the Tory administration that has been running the council since May 2007.

In the period 2003-2007 when the council was under a joint Liberal Democrat/Labour administration, the Executive consisted of seven members with combined allowances of £30,000 (at current rates). As soon as the Tories took power they increased the Executive to eight members, and now a year later they have increased again to nine, with combined allowances of £38,000, an increase of nearly 28%.

District councillor Ann Blacklock (Liberal Democrat, Kenilworth Abbey) said:

"The Conservatives need to explain to council tax payers why they now need nine Executive members to do the same job previously done by seven Liberal Democrat and Labour members, with a cost increase in real terms of 28%.

What's going to happen next year? Will they increase the size of the Executive still further? The job of the Executive remains the same, so why do the Tories need all these extra members, all claiming additional allowances of course?

I see no justification for this waste of council taxpayers' money."

NOTES:-

1. Current allowances are £7950 for Leader, £3762 for Portfolio Holders and £3021 for non-Portfolio Executive members.

2. Over the period 2003-2007 the Executive consisted of Leader + 5 Portfolio Holders and 1 non-Portfolio Executive member.

3. Since May 2008 it consists of Leader + 8 Portfolio Holders.