Call for Shropshire councillors to cancel their pay rise 'distasteful virtue-signalling' says senior Lib Dem

At a full council meeting on Thursday (September 25) Labour group leader Councillor Rosemary Dartnall said freezing councillors’ 3.2 per cent rise for 2026 would save the council £44,500 in the current financial year and make a “strong statement” to the public and Shropshire Council staff, who have endured years of uncertainty about their jobs.

The council declared a financial emergency earlier this month.

All 74 councillors receive £14,378 a year for the work they carry out, which is due to increase by £460. It works out at £11.27 an hour, below the national living wage (currently £12.21 an hour for people aged 21 and over).

When it came to voting on freezing councillors' pay rise on Thursday, Councillor Dartnall was only backed by her fellow Labour councillors.

The council’s Liberal Democrat portfolio holder for health called it “virtue-signalling, point-scoring politics”.

“I feel very sad that the leader of the group representing the Labour Party feels the need to engage in virtue-signalling, point-scoring politics at this time of considerable difficulty for Shropshire Council,” said Councillor Bernie Bentick.

“Indeed, many colleagues work considerably longer hours to serve their local community. Is the leader of the Labour Party really calling for the councillor allowance to be even further behind the national living wage? I find [it] both incredulous and distasteful.”

Conservative Councillor Ed Potter said that, while he understood the motives behind the motion, he felt there needed to be a wider debate about how the councillors’ renumeration is set.

“Since May, this is a far more diverse chamber,” said Councillor Potter, who was the youngest councillor eight years ago.

“I don’t want to see any blocks put in place that will prevent people becoming a councillor. At times, it is a thankless task.”

Councillor Potter added that many councillors are at a disadvantage, especially if they are a parent or carer, or self-employed.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Rob Wilson, who is the portfolio holder for transport and economic growth, explained his situation.

“I am a working-age father of two, and am working full-time shoulder to shoulder with our members of staff to try and rescue this council,” he said.

“I am earning less than the minimum wage and have no pension contributions. I have a mortgage to pay and have to do the weekly shop. I cannot support this motion.”

The leader of the Reform UK group, Councillor Dawn Husemann, said: “I think I need to call out the total hypocrisy of Labour and their union paymasters who think it is okay to hold the country to ransom whilst demanding inflation-busting pay rises for people who are already paid more than most ordinary people can dream of – like Tube drivers who recently brought London to a virtual standstill – but then expect me to work for less than minimum hourly rate due to the hours that I am working.

“We need young people with families, mortgages and childcare costs – their time is valuable and it needs to be funded so they can play their central part in our democracy.”

Labour councillor Kate Halliday said she was "a little bit taken aback” by the response.

“We’re talking about a year’s freeze on our allowance, yet we are expecting the public to take multiple hits to services while finding ways to save money,” she said, adding that she takes unpaid leave to carry out council business.

Fellow Labour councillor Caroline Bagnall said she accepts how “rubbish” the money is.

“But we also have to remember a lot of us are town or parish councillors and a lot don’t get paid for that,” said Councillor Bagnall.

“I don’t think a small councillor allowance is going to make a difference to the sort of people we have standing for Shropshire Council.

“Our job is to make things right for our local communities. We can’t have it both ways, saying we want to keep our leisure centre and library and all our roads need to be pothole-free but we also want our allowance to go up.

“I totally get where people come from, however that small amount of money is only going to increase by a small amount. It’s about the message it gives to the people of Shropshire Council who have already lost their jobs and taken on extra responsibilites.”