Labour condemn Norfolk council over pay rise decision amid school meal voucher controversy
Councillors are getting a pay rise while children will miss out on food in the holidays
Labour has condemned a pay rise for Norfolk county councillors at a time when the authority is cutting free school meal vouchers.
Norfolk County Council (NCC) is set to award councillors a 1.75pc increase in their allowances.
The rise will mean Andrew Proctor, the leader of NCC, will be £15 a week better off – the same amount given per week to a family on the free school meals voucher scheme.
While councillors are not salaried, they are given an allowance to compensate them for time spent on their duties.
Councillors with special responsibilities – such as the leader, cabinet members, leader of the opposition, committee chairmen and members of certain committees – are also entitled to extra payments, called special responsibility allowances (SRAs).
Labour councillor Mike Smith-Clare criticised the council for the increase being awarded at the same time that the Conservative-led administration had refused to hold a debate on its decision to cut free school dinner vouchers during the Easter holidays.
“How sickening that while they choose to ignore the plight of those hardest hit – they’re happy to see an increase in their own special allowances,” he added.
“This really shows how little they care about the lives of Norfolk’s most vulnerable children – more a case of them letting kids starve, while they grab whatever they can.
“I think the thing that sticks in the throat, whether Andrew Proctor says it is wanted or unwanted, is that is £15 a week is the equivalent of a food voucher.
“There’s something hugely symbolic when a leader won’t accept urgent business to debate the issue and won’t accept a petition until forced to by kids.
“It shows his lack of concern for those young people in dire circumstances.”
Mr Smith-Clare called on councillors to use the extra allowances to support people in need in the community.
Mr Proctor was contacted but did not respond for comment.
The administration has insisted there will be no u-turn on the decision to end free school meal vouchers because it says it wants to use the ÂŁ6.7m of government cash available to help a broader range of people. It has promised to target those most in need with the cash and asks anyone struggling to get in contact.
On Monday, opposition councillors in County Hall walked out of a meeting after the administration refused to discuss ending the scheme.
Following the meeting Labour councillors went to support a food bank in Gorleston, offering supplies for those in need.
Since 2016/17, the amount the council spends on SRA has increased by almost 41pc – from £220.781 in 2016/17 to £310,289 in 2020/21.
Councillors received ÂŁ1.3m in 2019/20, from basic allowances and SRAs.
This comes against a backdrop of the council needing to make at least ÂŁ39m of savings.