INCINERATOR: Getting value for your £157,128.08?
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A TWIN hat councillor who has pocketed a share of more than £150,000 of allowances and expenses so far this year has insisted: “We deserve it.”
His comment came after it emerged the seven men who sit on both Norfolk County Council and West Norfolk Council have received a combined total of £157,128.08 so far in the current financial year.
But protesters fighting against the proposed Lynn incinerator say some of them have “no moral justification” for taking the money when they don’t represent voters’ views.
Figures published by the two authorities show that twin hatters Michael Chenery, David Harwood, Harry Humphrey, Michael Langwade, Brian Long, Tony White and Tony Wright also claimed a combined total of £178,782.88 in allowances and expenses during the last financial year. However, Mr Wright only joined the borough council last May.
At present, they pick up £14,069 in combined basic allowances for the borough and county, plus additional allowances for special responsibilities, such as cabinet posts, and expenses.
But Mr Humphrey, who is also a member of the county council’s cabinet, received £48,658.69 in allowances and expenses alone last year.
The total included an allowance of more than £14,000 paid to him as a member of the Norfolk Police Authority.
But he insisted: “I am not failing to represent the people” and refused to comment further in relation to the incinerator.
However, leading campaigner Mike Knights said: “Those that have not made any effort to represent their constituents have no moral justification for receiving a penny of public money if they are ignoring the public.”
The total of allowances and expenses paid so far in 2011-12 to each councillor are: Mr Chenery, £19,074.29; Mr Harwood, £32,604,60; Mr Humphrey, £30,851.40; Mr Langwade, £15,619.25; Mr Long, £24,693.14; Mr White, £15,698.20; Mr Wright, £18,587.20.
But Mr Langwade said twin hatters “work hard for it” and that allowances were examined by an independent body.
He said: “For what we do, for the worry we have and the hassle we have, we deserve it.”
Mr Long said he represented the views of the people on this issue but makes decisions at county level based on what will give the best outcome for the campaign, and added: “I am offering added value by being a twin hatter.”
But solicitor John Martin, who has researched the allowances paid to twin hatters, said: “I am astounded to find that some of these twin hatters have sufficient time to fulfil the duties they owe to those who have elected them.
“In particular I have in mind those who, outside their elected jobs, also have employment and business interests.”
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Comments
There are 4 comments to this article
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littletony
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 06:00 PMI would suggest, if I may be so bold, that John Martin takes his examination a step further and looks very closely indeed at Independent Financial Consultant Mr Humphreys in particular. He draws fifty thousand pounds a year or a thousand pounds a week tax free and straight into his bank. For what ? What qualifies the allowance? What panel or committee in their right mind would sanction such an amount for a few hours work every month. Humphreys attends few meetings and has virtually no input on anything of note since first becoming elected. It is as though he has joined some sort of perverse quango that just pays him vast sums for nothing other than having his name down on a committee. He is a joke but sadly he is a joke that has drawn over many years an absolutely fantastic sum from both councils for absolutely nothing of any value. Talk about council cut backs. Get rid of this waste of time for a start.
littletony
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 05:47 PMIt is a public disgrace that a handful of chums looking out for each other have got their heads together to claim vast sums of public money in this way. These guys would never be seen again if three quarters of this money was removed as it should be. Allowances for what I ask ? Humphreys hardly ever turns up for meetings unless he has to and according to minutes of both councils he is a rare sight. He pockets a fortune of money he does not deserve for a few hours sitting on a chair or two. This guy is an utter waste of space and he needs exposing for what he is. He is in my view a waste of public money. Give him an allowance by all means but base it on the work that he actually does for the community. His allowance would then add up to about twenty quid a week which is his true worth.
littletony
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 05:41 PMOh and another thing. The so called 'independent body' that awards these allowances is not quite as independent as Langewade would have you believe. Langewade, along with the rest of his council chums knows them all very well and are on first name terms. Not that 'independent' is it ?
littletony
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 05:37 PMHumphrey has done well out of the councils over the years. What I would question is how such sums can be percieved as 'allowances' or 'expenses' when they amount to over a thousand pounds a week. This is far more than most can earn and it is all tax free. Mr Humphreys is a 'financial consultant' and no doubt has placed considerable sums of tax payers money into a string of investments that he will benefit from for the rest of his life. The whole thing just stinks.
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