Dear Sir,
Imagine being elected as a County Councillor and pledging to support the people of your electoral division.
Imagine receiving a basic allowance of £11,000 per annum for undertaking that role.
Imagine then being elected to a neighbouring District Council and receiving a further allowance of £8,000 for undertaking the second role.
Imagine then being elected as an MP and receiving a salary of £79,468, plus expenses.
Imagine no longer being able to attend either Council, due to your new job.
Imagine that you then decide not to stand down from the Councillor roles you cannot undertake, but continue to take the monthly allowances.
Imagine denying the electorate an elected representative on the County Council.
Oh what a dilemma? What do I do?
Apparently, the answer is to do nothing. Apparently the answer is to tell people you’ll choose your moment for stepping down.
Apparently, the answer, in the meantime is to take the allowances and tell your electorate that you’ll donate the allowances (public monies received from cash strapped Councils) to charity.
Durham County Council has suffered 55% funding cuts from the Conservative government in the last ten years, amounting to £263 million.
This isn’t a hypothetical issue. It’s an ethical issue.
It’s happening right now in Newton Aycliffe.
Name & address supplied
