Town Hall rich list goes on view in rebel’s parting shot

Published: 2 April 2010
by RÓISÍN GADELRAB

THE fine details of Islington’s top Town Hall salaries – including pensions, expenses and bonuses – will be published online, thanks to a final act by rebel Lib Dem councillor Andrew Cornwell.

Cllr Cornwell has used his last council meeting to push through the publication of pensions, salaries, expenses and all benefits paid to council staff earning more than £75,000.

The motion, passed unanimously at last week’s final full council meeting, means the details of salaries paid to top council staff and senior directors must be published within a month – leaving them open to inspection before the local elections.

The decision came a week after Islington Council’s £210,000-a-year chief executive John Foster published on the Town Hall’s website the salary and job titles of all council staff earning more than £100,000.

Cllr Cornwell, who is not standing for re-election, said: “I was pleased I had support from all parties. It’s a big step forward for transparency in the council. 

“The council published salaries over £100,000 before the meeting and that was a combination of inquiries from the Press and also the motion due to be put down. But that only did half the job, so some service directors’ salaries were published but not all. This will finish the job.”

He added: “There’s a lot of public concern about high salaries for senior managers, not just in local government but right across the public sector, and the public has a right to know how their money is being spent. 

“What’s been achieved on management pay is just the kind of thing I’ve been pushing for my whole time as a councillor – to open up the council, more democracy and accountability.” 

In Islington, 25 staff – 21 council officials and four employed by Cambridge Education, the private company which runs the borough’s schools – are paid more than £100,000. In total, 44, are paid more than £75,000.

Eamon McGoldrick, chief executive of Homes for Islington, which manages the borough’s council housing stock, is the organisation’s only employee  paid more than £100,000, with a £125,501 salary.

The Tribune published the names of Islington’s 21 highest-paid officials two weeks ago.

A council spokesman said: “The council will be publishing details of salaries of £75,000 or more within a month of the motion, as requested.

“The council’s senior management team is currently looking at the exact details of putting the motion into practice.

“We believe it’s important to be transparent about pay, and details of senior managers who earn £100,000 or more are already available on the council’s website.”