Bromley Conservatives punish Liberal Democrats by removing leader’s allowance

The Conservative-run Bromley Council is proposing to remove the allowance paid to the Liberal Democrat group leader, while increasing allowances paid to others, including the Conservative Council leader, Conservative Deputy Leader, Labour leader, and all other Conservative-held posts. The local Lib Dem team say the Conservatives are taking this extraordinary step - removing an allowance that has been paid for at least the last 20 years - to punish the group for being vocal in their opposition to several key decisions taken by the Conservatives recently.

The Liberal Democrats gained five seats from the Bromley Conservatives in the local elections in May 2022 - previously there had been no Lib Dems on the Council since 2014. Since the election the group has been vocal in opposing Conservative decisions on key points, including the decision to sell community assets such as Community House in Bromley and the Public Halls in Beckenham, as well as the decision to remove support for School Streets. 

“Removing the £4,667 allowance is a petty and spiteful attack on the Liberal Democrats, both the leader and the group,” said Lib Dem leader Cllr Julie Ireland. “Since we were elected in May we have been vocal in opposition. We’ve spoken up against many unfair and authoritarian decisions taken by the Council, worked hard on the various Committees as well as being active in our communities with regular in-person advice surgeries - all very different from the behaviour of most of the Conservative group.“

“It’s a blatant attack on our democracy - but in many ways I take it as a compliment. Our work is making them very uncomfortable; they are having to work much harder than they used to, and clearly they see us as a threat to their future electoral chances in Bromley.”

Lib Dem Councillors are not deterred, their resolve is strengthened. The Lib Dem Councillors get incredible feedback from residents pleased about the difference we are making in our wards after many years of inaction from the former Conservative Councillors. Listening to and working with the community is core to Liberal Democrat values. Bromley’s Conservatives should learn from it, as it might not be long before they are the minority party in Bromley.

The proposal will be debated by the Council’s General Purposes & Licensing Committee on Thursday 16th February but as the Conservatives hold a majority on this - and all other committees - it is expected that the proposal will be approved.

Background information:

Most London councils pay an allowance to the leaders of the opposition groups - Bromley Council have paid an allowance to the leader of the 2nd opposition party for at least the last 20 years. 

The report to the Bromley Council committee compares the current allowances to remuneration recommended by the London Councils Remuneration Panel Report - and that report recommends an allowance of £4,667 for the leader of the second opposition party.

But instead of accepting this recommendation - as they have done with most other posts - the Bromley Conservative group on the Council proposes reducing the Lib Dem Leader’s allowance to zero and increasing the allowance of the Labour leader by over £5,600. The Conservatives also propose creating new allowances for Committee vice chairs (all Conservatives) and increasing the allowance for the Council Deputy leader to £28,000 rather than the £23,040 recommended for similar posts.