Agenda item

To consider the content of a report of the Independent Remuneration Panel following the undertaking of a mini-review into the Council’s Members’ Allowances Scheme.

Members considered a report of the Independent Remuneration Panel following a mini-review into the Members’ Allowances Scheme.

The report was introduced by Mr John Cade, Chairman of the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP). He highlighted the following points:

·         A mini review had been undertaken on two issues; firstly, the Special Responsibility Allowances for the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Standards Committee, and also the Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) for the Opposition Group Leader.

·         The Standards Committee had an important function, but was newly established; therefore it was recommended that the level of remuneration was to remain as agreed at the AGM in May 2023. If further changes were required, this issue could be looked at again.

·         A number of steps were taken when reviewing the SRA for the Opposition Group Leader. The first step was to consult The Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003 and check that there was a properly constituted opposition group, and if there was then the allowance had to be made. There was nothing within the Constitution of South Kesteven District Council defining what the ‘Opposition’ comprised.

·         The current administration, or Cabinet was formed from votes at the Council AGM in May 2023 from groups across the Council with the exception of the South Kesteven Coalition Group. If the Labour Group had cast their votes differently then the situation would have been different; therefore in the opinion of the IRP the Labour Group could not be an Opposition Group whilst voting for the current Leader. Overall, it was the opinion of the IRP that the Opposition Group allowance should go to the Leader of the South Kesteven Coalition Group.

·         The point had been raised that not all group leaders could receive an allowance. This could be looked at in the future by the IRP, but it was advised that there could be some non-pecuniary risks.

The following points were raised during debate:

·         One Councillor saw no need for the allowance for an opposition, nor the identification of Councillors as an opposition.

·         The Labour Group chose to have no representation within the administration in order to speak freely. The Group was in a loose ‘confidence and supply’ agreement with the administration, a parallel with the Democratic Unionist Party and the Conservatives in 2017, and the previous ‘Lib-Lab pact’.

·         The word ‘opposition’ was not mentioned in the Constitution, and this was something that could be picked up as part of a Constitution review.

Having been proposed and seconded and upon being put to the vote, it was AGREED:

DECISION:

That Full Council:

1.    Notes the content of the report.

2.    Approves the rate of £2,865 per annum for the position of Chairman of the Standards Committee as a Special Responsibility Allowance and that this be reflected in the Members’ Allowances Scheme.

3.    Approves the rate of £945 per annum for the position of Vice-Chairman of the Standards Committee as a Special Responsibility Allowance and that this be reflected in the Members’ Allowances Scheme.

4.    Instructs the Monitoring Officer to allocate the Opposition Group Leaders’ Special Responsibility Allowance to the Leader of the South Kesteven Coalition Group, backdated to 18 May 2023 as the date of the Annual Meeting of the Council.