UKIP Dudley Councillors refuse pay rise

Dudley's 7 UKIP councillors have rejected a 2.2% pay rise pushed through by the Labour Party and are urging other councillors to follow their lead.

Cllr Paul Brothwood, the leader of the UKIP group on Dudley MBC, said:

With hundreds of staff on zero hour contracts and with council planning to cut £200,000 children's services, we would rather see frontline staff and services prioritised and not councillors' wallets.

The Labour Group has already given massive pay increases to senior management in Dudley Council which only UKIP fought. They now want councillors to have a piece of the pie.

The council is desperately short of money - I just can't believe they're offering a pay rise.

The leader of the Conservative group, Cllr Patrick Harley, showed just how out of touch the Tories are by saying that most councillors wouldn't notice the 2.2% anyway and that UKIP's stance is just a headline seeking gesture. If most councillors wouldn't notice the 2.2% increase in their allowances then why pay it? Why not support UKIP in diverting the extra money from councillors who don't need it and won't even notice it to front line services?

UKIP councillors have asked that the 2.2% increase be paid into the community forum pot to be spent on community projects.