The following document was presented at the full meeting of Bristol City Council on 1st April 2008. It is not - and I have checked - an April Fool's Jape.

Report of the Members' Renumeration Independent Review Panel

[Para 6] Allowance for Leader of the Council

6.1 At its meeting on 19 June 2007 the Full Council accepted the Panel’s recommendation that the Leader’s remuneration package should be no less than £50,000 per annum – to be implemented via a stepped approach over a 4 year period (indexed-linked from 2007/08 values). In order to achieve this recommendation the Panel recommends the following annual increases for the Leader of the Council’s SRA:

  • 2008/09 - £10k + indexation year 1 x 25%
  • 2009/10 - £10k + indexation years 1- 2 x 50%
  • 2010/11 - £10k + indexation years 1- 3 x 75%
  • 2011/12 - £10k + indexation years 1- 4 x 100%

Sorry, what was that?

"The Leader's renumeration package should be no less than £50,000 per annum".

Right. So we've just had another inflation busting increase in Council Tax, for which we get our rubbish collected every other week, an average police service, and an achingly PC fire service [who spend 28 pence of every pound they receive on gold-plated public sector pensions]. We're in the middle of a credit crunch, after ten years of profligate tax and spend politics by London government, and with everyone looking to tighten their belts.

Yes, clearly this is the time to give a 25% per year pay rise to someone doing a job that previous generations would have regarded as a bit of part-time voluntary work. Fantastic.

[Para 7] Annual Indexation

7.1 Members of the panel endorse their original recommendation that the following indexation should be applied:

  • Basic Allowance, Special Responsibility Allowances, Dependent Carers’ Allowances and Co-optees’ Allowance: index to annual officer pay increase – this percentage increase is nationally negotiated and related to what local government can afford and also treats Officers and Members equally for annual increase in remuneration.
  • Mileage Rates: maintain indexation to Approved Mileage Allowance Payment (AMAP or Inland Revenue) rates.
  • Subsistence Rates: continue to index to Officer rates, except where relevant elements are booked directly by Members’ Services.

Even better, there is now a formal link between councillor's allowances and the salaries and benefits of council officers in another inflation-happy positive feedback cycle.