Councillor's Allowances Vote - Royal Berkshire Fire Authority

The Fire Authority consists of 25 Councillors appointed to the authority from the Unitary Authoritiy Councils in Berkshire. Each council appoints councillors from the various political parties represented within their council in rough proportion to their representation on the council.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is currently represented by one Liberal Democrat and three Conservatives. The total make up of the Authority at the time of the vote was 14 Conservatives, 5 Liberal Democrats, 4 Labour and 1 Independent.

The motion proposing the 337% rise in Councillors allowances was moved by Councillor Alan Ward (Conservative, Bracknell Forest, Central Sandhurst Ward) and seconded by Councillor Iain McCracken (Conservative, Bracknell Forest, Bullbrook).

These Councillors VOTED FOR the 337% RISE in their allowances:

Cllr Chris Bowring (Wokingham - Conservative), Cllr Dr Paul Bryant (West Berkshire - Conservative), Cllr Colin Dudley (Bracknell Forest - Conservative), Cllr Adrian Edwards (West Berkshire - Conservative), Cllr Mrs Pauline Helliar-Symons (Wokingham - Conservative), Cllr Iain McCracken (Bracknell Forest - Conservative), Cllr Fred Pugh (Reading - Conservative), Cllr Angus Ross (Wokingham - Conservative), Cllr Alan Ward (Bracknell Forest - Conservative), Cllr Miss Emma Webster (West Berkshire - Conservative).

These Councillors VOTED AGAINST the 337% RISE in their allowances:

Cllr Mrs Prue Bray (Wokingham - Liberal Democrat), Cllr Jeff Brooks (West Berkshire - Liberal Democrat), Cllr Paul Gittings (Reading - Labour), Cllr Chris Harris (Reading - Liberal Democrat), Cllr Owen Jeffrey (West Berkshire - Liberal Democrat), Cllr Mrs Kathy Newbound (Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead - Liberal Democrat), Cllr Sean Wright (Slough - Independent / BILLD Group)

These Councillors ABSTAINED IN THE VOTE on the 337% RISE in their allowances:

Cllr Mrs Christine Bateson (Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead - Conservative), Cllr John Lenton (Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead - Conservative), Cllr Phillip Bicknell (Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead - Conservative)

These Councillors WERE ABSENT FROM THE VOTE on the 337% RISE in their allowances:

Andrew Bradley (Wokingham - Conservative), Cllr Peter Jones (Reading - Labour), Cllr Mohammed Rasib (Slough - Labour)

The three abstaining Conservatives, all from the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, must surely have an opinion on whether the rise was right or wrong?

As it is they failed to oppose this rise in allowances at the same time as the Authority is part closing two Fire Stations in their Area at Windsor and Cookham.

The Lib Dems also tried to delay implementation of the Conservative pay rise by calling for the Conservative Pay Rise to be delayed and staged over time. Voting on this ammendment was in line with that on the rise itself with 10 Conservatives voting against delaying their pay rise, the 7 Lib Dems, Labour and Independent councillors voting to delay and stage the Conservative Rise and the 3 Windsor Conservatives again unable to decide or own up to what they thought.

Read the original minutes of this Meeting of the Fire Authority at the Fire Authority Website.

Page date Sept 2009