Diversity in local politics
I argued for fair pay for County Councillors at Suffolk's Independent Remunerations Committee a couple of months back. Fair pay? I think all councillors should get the living wage plus pension contributions ( and they must be seen to work for it.) The committee's response was simple: "How can we afford to pay you a living wage? " (I said, "By getting your priorities right." Perhaps not the most tactful response) In Suffolk, backbench county councillors get £10,600 a year, for (in my case certainly) a very full year's work and with NO chance of occupational pension because 9 years ago Brandon Lewis told you ( the public) that you didn't believe we were due any such thing https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20780587 Which is why most of Suffolk county councillors are well over pension age, or doing two jobs, or subsidised by a partner - or, occasionally - very poor. None are black, few are women and very very very few are young (because of not being able to build up any form of pension. It's not rocket scien
