PEOPLE IN ST JAMES have commented that they are outraged by the fact that Conservative and Labour county councillors have just voted themselves a pay rise of over….. £200,000 over the next four years.

Jill Hope, newly-elected county councillor for Sixfields which includes St James commented: “It was only a month after the election. One of the primary reasons for reducing the number of councillors from 73 to 57 was to save money. Over the next 4 years, the Conservatives promised savings in councillor allowances of more than £120,000.

“I thought that was good news, and I could think of any number of things that the county council could do with £120,000 for the benefit of the local community.

“Imagine my shock and horror when the Conservatives then proposed substantial increases in allowances for their councillors and for Labour councillors, announcing without any shame that the saving would be not £120,000 but just £28,000.

“Obviously the Lib Dems voted against this. At a time like this when so many people are being denied salary increases, when people are out of work, for the Conservatives and their Labour chums to vote themselves this massive increase is disgusting.

“Talk about snouts in the trough!”