haringey councillors vote for pay rise

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Permalink Reply by Bob Ruggles on March 8, 2020 at 15:17

Out of interest How many readers have met their Elected Ward Councillors ?

Be it a Ward meetings or their Surgery's ?

I have seen one at a Ward meeting once in the last couple of years

When ask meeting where Our Elected Councillors was. Advised on Party issues

Thought they was Elected and well paid to look after Ward Issues not Political Parties 

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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on March 8, 2020 at 19:02

Saw one of mine on Green Lanes last week.  

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Permalink Reply by JJ B on March 13, 2020 at 13:03

Over here in BG we have regular 'interactions' with all 3 councillors, one of whom is the beloved, esteemed leader Joe!

They do attend various residents meetings and events and those who subscribe do get regular neighbourhood updates via email frm one of the 3.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Setz on March 13, 2020 at 11:22

Careful what you wish for - when councillors were unpaid, only the well-off could afford to do the job so, surprise surprise, Councils were heavily occupied addressing concerns of the well-off, either ignoring or patronising the 'other', intensifying the inequality at the heart of all our problems. Had more 'ordinary' people been involved, would the 1890's 'People's Palace' have truly become so, would we have had a different Wood Green Shopping City in the 1970s?

Looks a thankless task nowadays to be a local councillor - they deserve a break. Guess it's decades of the drip, drip of the right wing 'small state' mantra. Much of what locals express around here on this website, on facebook, twitter, in local papers, at public meetings etc implies Council uselessness and councillor corruption exist when they actually don't AFAIK. I've met quite a few councillors and council officers over the decades and see vast scope for improvement but I've yet to meet one who lacked integrity. Even the most severe cases discovered have not resulted in prison, for example, as they have (very, very occasionally) in other boroughs. Either they are all getting away with it or the Thatcher-originated 'fake news' campaign against them has worked. 

I'm certain councillors and officers are not in it for the money - the basic Cllr allowance is poverty-level wages. Council Officer pay ratios are worthy, with those at the top getting noticeably less than elsewhere. Until 2018, the vast majority of councillors were paid around £10k a year for being on duty 24\7, their mobile phone numbers published on the website for all to use at any time - people do phone their councillors at 3am in the morning to complain about barking dogs etc - would not be surprised if Cllrs put their phones on silent all the time?

Nowadays 'special responsibilities' do let Cllrs earn more but I ask you, if you're a Cabinet Member managing billions, how much is it fair that you are paid?  If you are responsible for housing the poorest, how much of a salary for this vital job is warranted? If you're having to research and understand property appeals, learn how  complex planning rules affect residents, how much is that worth, given that you also have a full time job just meeting your basic Cllr responsibilities? 

Bet Cllrs and especially officers are paid a great deal less than you would want to be paid for the same work. A job where you can go to prison for expenses claims. 

The thing that gets me most is that we are shooting ourselves in the foot by decrying people we pay to carry out vital communal functions.

It's a vicious circle - imagine, you're in a job that has seen massive, continuing savage cuts in staff and resources with many senior people sacked, you see that the residents you work for have a very low opinion of everything you do and assume you corrupt and your employers useless - how motivating to do a good job is that?

The hostility shown to all things Council leads to some residents angrily determined to wreak revenge over powerlessness by 'putting a spanner in the works' at every opportunity - I've felt it myself.

How would you be inclusive? Tends to mean that the 'nicest' residents are the ones 'close' to the Council - the voices that most need hearing seem distanced.

We should accept responsibility for our own council - we pay them, they are more open to input than they have ever been. The more local involvement they get, the better they become. People seem easily to see what is wrong, but could not generally be bothered to propose, content to oppose. We get the Council we deserve.

Stay away and hate on them and things will only get worse. 

As they act in our name, we only have ourselves to blame.

 

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Permalink Reply by JJ B on March 13, 2020 at 13:07

"We should accept responsibility for our own council - we pay them, they are more open to input than they have ever been. The more local involvement they get, the better they become. People seem easily to see what is wrong, but could not generally be bothered to propose, content to oppose. We get the Council we deserve."

Couldn't agree more.... It is up to residents i.e voters, to press there reps to act on behalf of ward. If not organise to get them changed although not alweays as simple as it seems.

Why do Haringey reidents stick with Labour. P.S. am not a fan of the Con artists.

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