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| Carol with what she would have looked like canvassing with her council lolly |
Heart strings were pulled early in 2011 when the Lib Dem leader gave great political insight in submitting a begging letter to the administration committee, saying that when we was originally elected as a sole member it was all ok doing what she did for the £10 grand, but now with a whopping 200% increase in her group (you mean 2 more? -Ed) suddenly the amount of administration, responsibility and busy-ness means she richly deserves a payrise.
As Hornet reported here, the LibDem partners referred her missive to the Administration Committee for consideration.
Well, it may have passed you by as you blinked but nothing gets past the Dame... you can read it here
The Tory friends of the LibDem leader have granted the overworked and underpaid Colville Councillor the extra cash because clearly she deserves one.
Nick Clegg would be proud.
Extraordinary that Carol C did not announce this 'bonus' to her residents.
ReplyDeleteWhat possible extra workload could be involved to justify this 200% uplift. No wonder the Lib Dems never join with Labour in condemning greedy old Pooter...
We all knew it was a gravy train.
ReplyDeleteThis is more of Cllr Cockell's "patronage". Get them by the purse strings and they will do his bidding - Tory, Labour or Liberal.
An Administration that is rotten to the core
I wonder what all those Officers think who are being made redundant in Hornton Street in order to save money? And the elderly who are having services cut back?
ReplyDeleteOf course the extra £100 a week for our Cllr Carol will not wreck the budget - but it sends a powerful signal that she is just a money grubbing little councillor who has learnt fast from that other money grubber, Pooter Cockell.
The Coronet looks lazy in her photo. Now we know she never learnt what a hard days work means.
These pathetic types get this warm fuzzy feeling that it would be nice "to do good and be a counsellor". When reality hits them we find out that the little cat paws are out for a bit more grub.
Bring back the public service ethic......
The facts behind this story are these. The Lib Dem group lead receives an annual payment of £4,437 a year in addition to her £10,000 basic allowance.
ReplyDeleteIt is necessary for a political group to establish itself within the Council - bringing with it a very modest additional payment. Within just a year, the Lib Dems gained 3 councillors. Labour are worried.
It is worth noting that the Labour group leader receives £20,000 in addition to her standard allowance of £10,000. Her Chief Whip receives an additional £5,000. Other Labour councillors receive similar extra funds for acting as committee spokespersons.
All such sums are a mere pittance beside those received by those who run Hornton Street.
I have no problem with Cllr Caruana picking up an extra £5k every year to be Leader of the Liberals. The Leader of the Conservatives (Cllr Cockell) takes an extra £54k for his efforts and the Leader of the Labour Group (Cllr Blakeman) takes an extra £20k.
ReplyDeleteBut Cllr Caruana needs to start to behave like a "leader". There is more to the Borough than her Ward and its tiny issues. She needs to use elbows in Hornton Street and start to spend time on important issues like Portobello Road in Planning Committee.
And was she elected by her fellow Liberals? I bet not.
Wise up Carol and earn your crust. Or move over and let one of the others do the job
I think it fair to say that the LibDems were voted in by residents keen to see a bulwark against the Majority Group, who trample over democracy: sadly the Lib Dems have done nothing to 'raise their heads over the parapet'. The behaviour of Pooter and Paget Brown over Lamont is a case in point...where were the LibDems when Cllrs Blakeman and Dent Coad lodged their complaint to the Standards Committee? Nowhere! So it leads one to the suspicion that they are just halfhearted in helping bring about change.
ReplyDeleteCrossBencher
So Caruana is another freeloader?
ReplyDeleteThe tone of some comments is unreasonable. In 2012 an annual pre-tax income of £14,437 is hardly a vast sum for leading a small party political group within what must be one of the most hostile political structures in London.
ReplyDeleteThe public is sick of the decades long game played by our established parties. Residents are beginning to seek alternatives. This process has only just begun, but those with most to lose are aware of its implications. The knives are clearly out for anyone who dares to break up the Old Pals act that passes for democracy in the Rotten Borough. The time has come for people of conscience to vote for change.
21.15
ReplyDeleteIt is time for the Lib Dems to show some leadership and stand up and be counted instead of just sticking out their mittens for more dough.
Recent Standards Committee fiasco a good recent example of their spineless contribution to politics in Horton Street. Shame on them!
"In 2012 an annual pre-tax income of £14,437 is hardly a vast sum for leading a small party political group within what must be one of the most hostile political structures in London"
ReplyDeleteThoughtful...think about it the Lib Dems cllrs have done NOTHING but sit back quiescently whilst Labour do all the opposing. Hardly the stuff of hostility. When the Lib Dems start to show some balls then we will be happy to get more money