Lib Dems will cut Councillors' Allowances

Liberal Democrats in the Royal Borough will halve Councillors' Allowances if elected in May.

The Conservatives' top priority when elected to lead the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in May 2007 was to award themselves a massive 97% increase in their basic allowances.

The Conservatives' plans for the 97% increase in their own pay were not mentioned anywhere in their election literature at the time.

The allowance rise coupled with increases in special responsibility payments saw the bill for allowances rise from £319,622 in 2007/8 the last year of allowances set by the Lib Dems to £583,825 in 2010/2011under the Conservatives, a rise of 82% in the total expenditure on councillors' allowances by the Conservatives.

The bulk of the increase was introduced in 2008 at the height of the economic crisis,
when the Consrvatives were busy telling people we were "all in it together."

"The Conservatives failed to tell voters that they planned to raise their allowances by 97% in their leaflets in 2007,
but the Liberal Democrats are telling voters our plans to cut allowances in half!"

says local Lib Dem Richard Fagence who is standing in his old seat of Clewer South.