A LABOUR candidate for Winklebury and Manydown said councillors have 'done the wrong thing' for Basingstoke, after they voted in favour of awarding a pay rise allowance to senior members of the council.

At a Basingstoke and Deane Borough council meeting last week, twenty-seven Conservative councillors voted in favour of awarding a 6.5 per cent pay rise for senior councillors’ additional responsibility allowances.

During the same council meeting, councillors voted for a staff pay rise of a considerably lower amount at just 1.75 per cent.

SEE MORE: 'It is morally wrong': Approval of rise in  pay allowance for senior councillors raises huge concerns as cost of living increases

Alex Lee said that analysis shows the average earner in Basingstoke and Deane will see their earnings fall by £1,268.05 by 2023.

He said: “To top it off, at the last full council meeting, Basingstoke Conservatives voted to increase council tax and charges for valued services across the borough, and a poor pay rise of only 1.75 per cent for hard-working council staff whilst simultaneously voting to up the allowances of leader of the council, Cllr Simon Bound, by over 6 per cent.

“The Basingstoke Conservatives made the wrong choices for Basingstoke and Deane, and our country.”

He said the cost of living is having a big effect on families in the borough.

He added: “The cost-of-living crisis is hammering families across Basingstoke and Deane. But all we got from the Chancellor in his Spring Statement last week was a promise of jam tomorrow rather than the support that is needed now – and now we learn that workers in the area are facing a sharp squeeze on their wages, losing £1,268.05 from their pay packet by next year.”

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As previously reported the leader of the Labour group Cllr Andy McCormick, has shared concerns.

He said: “Under normal circumstances, I would accept the recommendation from the independent panel and I do feel uncomfortable about rewarding myself a pay rise but I have to say that the contents of this report make me feel even more uncomfortable and I would feel a lot more happier to have the same pay rise as our staff or failing that a pay freeze."

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