The Press and Journal continues the reporting into potential ways of saving money at Highland Council:
'Highland councillors have been urged to cycle to meetings and use buses to help the local authority save thousands of pounds in expenses.
They have also been told to consider car sharing and other “green” forms of transport in a drive to trim spending.'
They have also been told to consider car sharing and other “green” forms of transport in a drive to trim spending.'
And on free meals they have spoken to one councillor against and one for:
'Inverness councillor Peter Corbett said members should pay for their own meals. But fellow city councillor Bob Wynd said: “When councillors are attending here they are actually away from their normal place of work which is within their own ward or home. Whatever industry or company you work for, when you are asked to attend some place away from normal office or place of work you are paid expenses accordingly.”
Read the full article here.
The Scotsman today contains details of what Councillors can actually get at the moment:
'At present, the cost of a cooked lunch on main committee days is £8.20 per head and £5.20 for a light lunch. Under a nationally agreed allowance scheme, members are entitled to claim a maximum of £12 in expenses for lunch if a meal is not provided by the council.' The full article here.
Nairnshire's four councillors have an ideal opportunity to set an example to the rest of the Council here, they should state publicly that they will no longer claim any free lunches!
6 comments:
What you are legally entitled to claim and what you think is morally right are two entirely different things. When I was at work I could have claimed 'subsistence' amounts if away from my usual office but I never did. My view was that I would be paying for a sandwich either way so I was not out of pocket...
The whole free food and drink debacle is going to quickly alienate the public from our councillors unless they act quickly.
Although they might not be breaking any law or claiming beyond what they are entitled to, the fact that that they are still in receipt of some free food and drink is going to really gal public opinion.
This is akin to the MP expenses row, again many MPs only claimed what they were entitled too but many members of the public were rightly outraged at their spending
In view of the severity of cuts that councillors will have to make over the coming months and years might I suggest that they vote to end all free food and drink for themselves now? Only then will they regain public support
I and most others have to provide my own lunch for work so why shouldn't the councilors. It's not hard to make a lunch box before you leave the house in the morning or to stop at a shop and buy a sandwich.
I read the P&J article in which Wick councillor Katrina MacNab says she often has to leave home at 7:30 and the food provided for her kept her going in Inverness
If I have to work in Wick for the day I often leave Nairn before 7:00 and guess what, my packed lunch keeps me going
What planet are these councillors living on?
Time the free trough was taken away
At least our very own Community Councillor David Brownless not only got on his bike but opened a bike shop!
Does this earn him a 'brownie' point?
they should send the MPs to one of the schools with a lunch program. They can have the horrible food they are feeding the children there.
No money for kids lunches but good dosh for MPs ...sickening
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