Agenda item

This report outlines the annual review of the Members Allowance Scheme undertaken for 2026 – 27.

(Agenda republished to include an amendment to the proposed Members Allowance Scheme  submitted by the Liberal Democrats Group on 20 February 2026)

As the final item on the agenda, the Mayor then invited Councillor Mili Patel, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources, to introduce a report from the Corporate Director of Finance & Resources seeking approval to the proposed Members Allowance Scheme for the 2026-27 financial year.

Councillor Mili Patel moved the report as presented within the agenda (without further comment).  Having thanked Councillor Mili Patel, the Mayor then drew members attention to an amendment submitted by Councillor Lorber on behalf of the Liberal Democrats Group to the proposed Members Allowance Scheme, which had been circulated in advance of the meeting.

In moving the amendment, Councillor Lorber felt it important to reflect on the nature of the budget debate which had been undertaken at the meeting and current financial pressures being experienced by the Council, which he felt supported the need for a wider review of expenditure across a number of areas including the provision of Special Responsibility Allowances relating to a number of positions within the current members allowance scheme which it was also felt reflected the need for a wider democratic reset.  On this basis, the amendment moved by Councillor Lorber was as follows:

(1)    To amend the list of Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs) proposed under the 2026-27 Members Allowance Scheme, as detailed within Appendix 1 of the report, as follows:

(a)    In accordance with the Liberal Democrats alternative budget proposals,reduce Cabinet to 6 members (comprising the Leader and 5 other Cabinet Members) removing the need to provide 4 Cabinet Member SRAs.

(b)    Abolish the current SRA for the position of Deputy Leader (£30,891) and reduce that SRA to the normal Cabinet Member SRA level (£20,354)

(c)    Remove SRA for the position of Deputy Mayor (£3,449)

(d)    Remove the SRA currently payable to the Group Whip for the Majority Party (£4,265), reflecting this is a purely political position.

(e)    Reduce the SRA level for the position of Scrutiny Chair and Chair of Planning Committee from £15,229 to £9,000 pa

(f)     End payment of the SRAs (£2,120) to the Chairs of Brent Connects Area Consultative Forums – with these meetings to be chaired by Neighbourhood Managers in future.

(2)    To add, as an additional recommendation - A further review of the SRAs payable under the Members Allowance Scheme be undertaken following the local elections on 7 May 2026.

The Mayor thanked Councillor Lorber for moving the amendment before inviting other members to speak, with the following contribution received.

Speaking in further support of the amendment, Councillor Clinton felt it important to recognise the basis of the changes being sought given the need to ensure that where flexibility and choice was available funding was being utilised as effectively as possible and providing maximum value for residents across the borough.

With no other members indicating they wished to speak the Mayor then invited Councillor Mili Patel (as mover of the report) followed by Councillor Lorber (as mover of the amendment) to exercise their right of reply.

Prior to the rights of reply being made, the Mayor advised that as the remaining time available was shortly due to expire he intended to move the suspension of Standing Order 44 (Council Guillotine Procedure) in order to extend the time of the meeting by a period of 10 minutes, to enable completion of the agenda. In accordance with Standing Order 42 (d) the procedural motion was put to the vote without further discussion and declared CARRIED.

In exercising her right of reply, Councillor Mili Patel began by highlighting the importance of the allowance scheme as a mechanism for ensuring that people from all walks of life and as diverse backgrounds as possible were able to represent and serve their communities.   In recognising the importance of the representational role undertaken by members alongside the increasing challenge in terms of managing demand and supporting the delivery of local services, it was felt the allowance scheme needed to reflect the nature of roles covered along with volume of casework generated in seeking to fulfil the requirements of each position, with it pointed out that the allowances payable under the scheme were allocated according to roles and not the individual.  Whilst supportive of the principle relating to fair pay it was pointed out that the annual review process had, however, also been designed to recognise the challenging financial environment in which the Council was operating.  In light of the wider pressures identified and need to prioritise key frontline services for residents, the report had therefore been moved on the basis of no inflationary uplift being recommended to the Member Allowance Scheme in the level of basic, special responsibility and civic allowances payable for 2026-27.  In summing up, Councillor Mili Patel felt this represented the fairest approach and in advising the Labour Group would not be supporting the amendment also highlighted what was felt to be the contradiction in the stance taken by opposition members in the Green Group in seeking to remove the allowances for certain positions as part of the alternative budget proposals they had moved, given their acceptance of SRAs when serving in their various previous roles within the Majority Group as including as Whip, Brent Connect Chair and Cabinet Member.

As a final contribution, the Mayor then invited Councillor Lorber to speak who, in exercising his right of reply, highlighted what he felt was also a need to consider the level of allowance paid for the role of Deputy Leader, given the current remit in relation to control and management of the Council’s overall financial position and successive levels of overspend identified as part of the ongoing in year budget monitoring process.

Having thanked members for their contributions, the Mayor then moved to the vote on the report starting with the amendment moved by the Liberal Democrats Group.

The amendment, as set out above, was then put to the vote and declared LOST.

The Mayor then moved on to put the substantive recommendations, as set out in the original report circulated with the agenda, to a vote which were declared CARRIED.

Council therefore RESOLVED:

(1)    To approve the Members Allowance Scheme in the proposed terms set out within the report for the 2026-27 Financial Year.

(2)    To authorise the Corporate Director of Finance & Resources to comply with the statutory requirements to publicise the Council’s Members’ Allowance Scheme.