Chief Exec still to get massive pay rise as council leader reneges on promise to Labour councillors

Councillor Colin Lambert

The leader of Rochdale Council plans to railroad through massive pay rises for senior officers despite opposition from councillors at last night’s Labour Group meeting, it has emerged.

Following significant opposition from councillors and a great deal of anger from residents of the borough, Councillor Colin Lambert told Labour councillors at last night's meeting that he would drop plans to introduce a £40,000 pay rise for the chief executive from this Wednesday’s Full Council agenda.

However, Councillor Lambert has subsequently admitted in an interview with BBC Radio Manchester this morning that he plans to use money from the Council’s expected new responsibilities with the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office to fund the pay rise.

It has also emerged that the last Greater Manchester chief executive to assume this police role, Barbara Spicer from Salford Council, did not get any extra money from the role. The funds permitted were used by Salford Council to compensate for time spent working with the police away from her role with the Council.

A spokesman for Rochdale Council refused to comment, however Rochdale’s MP Simon Danczuk was far less reticent and slammed what he called a “grubby deal” and said it reflected badly on local democracy.

“This is a massive mistake,” he said. “I don’t understand why the Council leader is hell bent on pushing through unpopular and ill thought through measures that his own councilors don’t want and the public don’t want.

“There is no justification for forcing through eye watering pay rises and I cannot understand why Councillor Lambert is running around trying to find pots of money to boost the income of the highest paid one per cent in society at a time when the Council is having to make huge cuts. The days of bumper pay rises to council officers are over. But this news obviously hasn’t reached Rochdale.

“On a day when Oftsed has just announced that Rochdale is one of 20 councils with inadequate child protection services this is entirely the wrong message to be sending out. We should all be working hard to improve services, not working
hard to improve the salaries at the top.”

http://rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/83061/council-leader-climbs-down-in-face-of-revolt-on-chief-executive-pay