Tories Set Aside £100,000 For Their Pay Rise As They Cut Services And Jobs

Cllr Kilian Bourke
(LD, Romsey)

County Tories have put aside £100,000 in their budget to pave the way for giving themselves a pay rise.

The money provides for an increase Members’ Allowances despite the decision to cut £43 million from Cambridgeshire County Council’s spending and axe 154 full-time jobs.

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrat Leader, Kilian Bourke said: “This is utter hypocrisy.  On the one hand the Tories are cutting services and making staff redundant while on the other they are hoping to give themselves a pay rise.

"It is particularly tasteless that they have budgeted for a £100k addition to their pay packets while increasing council tax, a grossly unfair tax that hits the poorest hardest."

"It is also worrying that there seems to be a presumption in favour of a pay rise."

"This money would be better spent protecting frontline services like libraries and buses, not lining Tory pockets."

Putting this £100,000 into services could have:

• Kept two small libraries open for a year
• Put two new community mini buses on the road
• Paid for more respite care packages for families with disabled children or the elderly
• Reinstated the city shuttle bus

NOTE:
The increase has not happened yet, it is merely provided for in the budget.

Reference to it can be found by following the link and going to P159:

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BzONPy6P1--dNmM2NzRhZGQtM2RhZi00ZDQ2LWI5MGYtNTc5MTE3MzE3OTkz