Councillors' expenses: Have your say

Monday, 30 November 2009

By John Hugill

MOVES to tighten up councillors’ expenses and open them up to public viewing have moved a step closer.

Proposals made at a Lewisham council standards committee meeting on Tuesday could see all councillors’ claims made public in full.

If proposals are passed, receipt claims would be published on the council’s website.

First class travel would also be abolished and free parking privileges reconsidered.

Receipts would be needed for any taxis booked and mobile phones would be given to all councillors, leaving them to pay for any private calls out of their own pocket.

Labour councillor Alan Hall, a member of the committee, sat out of this item but agreed with proposals.

He said: “It’s a good thing that expenses would be completely transparent.

“The recommendations would bring the council right up to date.

“Local councillors get very, very small expenses.

"Cabinet members spend expenses when they’re away at conferences but overall the cost is low.”

Proposals will now be considered by the council’s independent remuneration panel.

Chairwoman Sally Hawkins, who is one of six independent members on the committee, said: “We welcome all the recommendations in the report.

“All committee members were pleased to see there was no evidence at all that councillors had been abusing the system.

“This was not about righting any wrongs but about making the system totally transparent.

“It’s important the taxpayers in Lewisham are confident in the system and because of the expenses scandal with MPs some people may have had worries.”

Councillors’ expense claims over the last year were also published in the report.

Figures recorded included every councillor’s £9,812 basic allowance and also telephone, travel and taxi claims.

Do you think councillors’ expenses should be opened up to public viewing?

Have your say by filling in the comment form below.

Email: john.hugill@slp.co.uk

For the full story, you can get a full online edition at www.slp-e-edition.co.uk

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1 comments on this news item

Posted by : Max Calò, Lewisham | Monday 30/Nov/2009 | Report this comment

They think we’re dumb. This decision only moves the disclosure of expenses to after next elections. The ugly truth is that this year’s expenses list was removed from this very committee papers before putting them up on the Council’s website. You can know the expenses of almost every politician in the land nowaday, not Lewisham Council though, only after elections.

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