REBEL Labour councillor Kevin Bennett has suggested members of Warrington Borough Council should take pay cuts – in line with what tenants could lose because of the “bedroom tax.”
Cllr Bennett (pictured) says backbench councillors should take a pay reduction of 14 per cent while those with special 
responsibility allowances should lose 25 per cent.
The Fairfield and Howley councillor spoke against the so-called “bedroom tax” at the monthly meeting of the borough council.
He urged the council to make a pledge that no evictions would take place as a result of the measure.
“The ‘bedroom tax’ will have the effect of hitting some of our poorest and most vulnerable citizens. It will impact on the lives of disabled people, their carers and other poor and disadvantaged groups,” he said.
“I wish to live in a fair and civilised society that does not introduce welfare cuts that kick people when they’re down and at their most vulnerable. I very much hope that sooner rather than later this government sees the error of its ways and scraps this iniquitous and cruel ‘bedroom tax'”.
The tax is actually a cut in housing benefit for people who are deemed to have homes too big for their needs.
The government wants people to move to smaller properties, freeing up larger homes for larger families.
But Cllr Bennett said: “Apart from the hypocrisy of a cabinet full of millionaires telling the working poor that they have to move, because they are not entitled to a tiny box room for family members to stay in when they visit, it’s a strategy that can’t work because there aren’t enough one or two bedroom flats and houses to go around”
mmm
Rebel calls for councillor pay cuts
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
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Why not go the whole hog and reduce the number of councillors, for example in Fairfield reduce the councillors from three to two. That would solve the problem of Councillor Bennett straight away.
Why not do both? The Cllr’s comment seems fair. “All in it together”?
Bennett is clearly a disgrace to Labour and Warrington. This is just an attempted diversion from his inevitable expulsion from thegroup and maybe the party – he is wrapped up in a militant campaign thats simply doomed to fail
Perhaps in future the commitee that selects potential candidates should take responsibility seriously to select the right people to represent the Labour party.
I was on the Labour party local government commitee some years ago.
at the time of the fall out between John Gartside and Mike Hughes the then leader. The committee was suspended allowing certain candidates to be put forward at the detriment of local members who then had no say in who should represent their ward.
Such fall outs only give ammunition to the opposition party to go public and embarrass the good work that goes on for the people of our town.
Why can MPs vote against the Party line without any real consequences, while Cllrs get expelled? How come issues of conscience don’t extend to cutting services to the most dis-advantaged in our community. The level of Councillor expenses has got out of hand. Many now get more as part time councillors than some full-time staff employed by the Council. While they outsource staff often forcing current and future staff out of the pension scheme – Councillors now join the pension scheme set up for staff – something many of their low paid staff can’t afford to do. If Councillors are in the game of making cuts that least affect the community – as they claim – then they can start by looking at what they pay themselves.
I’m surprised that this is the only speech reported from the Council debate. Labour put a motion calling on the bedroom tax to be abolished, which was carried – and three of the four Conservative councillors voted for the motion. The LibDems tried to put an amendment that was ruled out of order (because it would have changed the motion so that it wasn’t calling for the aboltion of the tax). They then refused to take part in the debate and at the end refused to vote (one abstained, the rest refused to answer their name when called to vote).
Apparently LibDems struck dumb, and local Conservatives voting for a Labour motion to abolishing their government’s policy, isn’t newsworthy. One Labour rebel is.
Because we, perhaps, don’t like what Coun Bennett says we want to get rid of him. It’s about time that some of his colleagues spoke up in favour of the electorate. He certainly has a point in that “Back Benchers” seem to do very little for their money when the Cabinet takes all the decisions for them. When are we going back to the Committee structure that we were promised to give ALL Councillors some responsibility in the name of Democracy – or is that too simple?
RE: Guardian. Clearly, Labour not Cllr Bennett is a disgrace to Warrington.
Remember the militant nonsense in Liverpool? Bennett is on the same train but 30 years too late – too stupid to even notice that he is a pawn in a game that he doesn’t even know that he is playing!
Well said – this seems to be the way of Warrington Worldwide these days, sad to say
Steve – I am surprised by your comments – we never report everything in one go from any council meeting we cover – particularly during a holiday period when stories are held back or followed up for the other side to be given an opportunity to respond – the story you relate to is covered here https://www.warrington-worldwide.co.uk/articles/15402/1/Labour-lashes-out-over-political-stunt/Page1.html
Haven’t got a clue what you are talking about Guardian!
Well said. Have we met?
Not that I know of
Not moaning Gary – you do a good job! More of an observation that lots of stories pick up one side or one aspect, rather than bringing different views together – but you seem to have answered that to Steve Parish below