Councillors set for 17% pay increase next year

COUNCILLORS in Swansea are in line for a salary rise of nearly 17% next year, and several are uneasy about it.

They expressed mixed views about the draft pay proposals, which have been drawn up by an independent body.

Under the proposals, a councillor’s basic salary would be £16,800, based on a three-day working week, compared to £14,368 currently – a rise of 16.9%.

The council leader’s salary would rise by 14% from £55,027 to £63,000.

The pay of cabinet members and opposition group leaders would also increase.

The draft pay rates for 2022-23 have been put together by the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales (IRPW), which sets pay levels for local authorities.

Members of the council’s democratic services committee considered the IRPW report after discussing a plan to boost diversity among councillors to more accurately reflect the city’s many different communities.

Cllr Nick Davies said councillors would be failing in their responsibility to promote diversity if they didn’t accept the IRPW’s pay proposals.

He said the last thing councillors wanted was for the role to only be for people who could afford to do it, “in other words a retirement hobby for middleclass people who are comfortable”.

He added: “While it may stick in the craw of some people to vote for it, I think it’s better than the alternative.”

Cllr Lesley Walton said she felt “incredibly awkward” about the proposed hike, given that some people in Swansea were “really struggling”.

She said: “On that ground, I just find it very difficult to accept it.”

Swansea council has until December 3 to respond to the IRPW’s consultation.