Councillor Joanna Biddolph argued in the council chamber that the council is wasting money on non-jobs. During the annual budget debate she gave the same speech she has made before - because the financial wastefulness continues. Councillors are not paid; they receive an annual allowance recognising time spent. There are national guidelines for the amount councillors can receive, and on specific roles that can pay an additional special responsibility allowance (SRA). It is right that council leaders, chairmen of significant committees, the mayor and others should receive additional payments, reflecting the significance of their roles. National guidelines say not more than 50 per cent of a council's councillors should receive an SRA. In Hounslow, over 75 per cent of councillors receive SRAs which Cllr Joanna Biddolph believes is wrong, as she said at the borough council meeting on 25th March 2025:
Madam Mayor.
I’m sorry to have to blow the dust-off comments I have made so many times before – this is, I think, the seventh time – and yet again I will be saying the same as before.
We agreed, during the 2018 to 2022 term, that members’ allowances would be increased in line with staff pay each year rather than hiked every four years. I still agree with that. In its most recent review, the independent review panel that recommends rates to be paid to councillors, recommended significant increases across the board, urging councils to introduce them. But this is not the time to do that and I am glad the council has not recommended it.
Residents and businesses are struggling with increases in council tax; increases in utility bills; increases in the cost of food; increases in tube and rail fares; and businesses will now also have to pay higher employers’ national insurance contributions and higher business rates.
April will indeed be the cruellest month for many.
These increases will damage, perhaps destroy, livelihoods. Councillors must not put themselves in a privileged position and award themselves big increases when those we represent are struggling.
As I’ve said every year, whatever we receive in allowances for our work as councillors, it is an obligation on all of us to show our value to our residents and business ratepayers.
The basic allowance doesn’t compensate for the workload of an engaged, hardworking, proactive councillor and isn’t meant to. Nor does it match hours spent and nor is it meant to. It isn’t recompense for time spent; it is recognition of time spent.
Even though it might be pennies per hour for some, many residents think it is still too much no matter how hard a councillor works. There is resentment among some that we receive anything for what we do.
When councillors do little, voters have every right to complain and, in one notable case in Hounslow this year, after a Labour councillor didn’t even meet the minimum obligation for council meetings – voters responded. A by-election result returning an Independent councillor sends a very clear message to the rest of us: we were elected to work for those we represent, not “just take the money”.
Moving on to special responsibility allowances. We have consistently questioned the role of cabinet assistant since it was introduced. This role is identified in the independent review panel’s list of special responsibilities – but it doesn’t mean it has to be filled. In this council’s case, it now means that more than 75 per cent of councillors receive special responsibility allowances when the independent review panel’s guidance is that no more than 50 per cent of councillors should do so.
As I’ve said before, it smacks of buying support to shore up the leader’s wobbly majority – and I know that the new independent councillor for Syon & Brentford Lock agrees as he said so in this chamber, during the previous council term, when he picked up and endorsed my comment.
The percentage point isn’t repeated in the latest review panel’s recommendations but I have checked – and it has been confirmed – that the principle hasn’t been dropped: the panel wouldn’t advise paying SRAs to more than 50 per cent of councillors within a borough. The cabinet assistant role isn’t essential. It doesn’t merit extra money. It should be dropped.
Use the money to fill potholes, as we recommended last year, instead of reducing road maintenance standards to the average for London.
Madam Mayor, as I said at the start, I’m standing here saying the same as before – we must all work hard to demonstrate value for money. This isn’t our money, it is our residents’ and our business ratepayers’ money. Whether we receive only the basic allowance, or receive an additional Special Responsibility Allowance, we must demonstrate to everyone we represent that we are worth it.
