Leicester city councillors could be axed (with poll)
The number of councillors in Leicester could be cut in a move that would save taxpayers' cash.
Councillors will meet tonight to discuss the political shake-up.
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City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said it was not for him to decide how many councillors there should be
The city has 54 council members representing 22 wards, but that figure is to be reviewed by officials from the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.
It is the first time in 10 years any changes to the city's political map have been proposed.
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The commission could decide Leicester City Council has too many elected members, or it could decide it has too few – although the latter is far less likely.
A report by the council's political governance director Miranda Cannon has revealed that this year's budget for councillors' allowances is set at £1.17 million, with a further £1.28 million for council officials who support them in their roles.
Her report said other councils facing financial pressures had looked to make savings by cutting councillor numbers and support staff.
Colin Copus, professor of local politics at De Montfort University, in Leicester, said: "It's surprising – in many councils across the country the turkeys are actually voting for Christmas and supporting moves to reduce their numbers."
However, Prof Copus said he believed such a move in Leicester, which has an elected mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, would damage the health of local democracy.
He said: "That is a short-term expedient and, in my view, would be a wrong-headed approach. That is particularly the case in Leicester, where we have a powerful directly elected mayor.
"They [the councillors] have a role to hold him to account, to challenge his ideas.
"Fewer councillors will make that very difficult to achieve."
The councillors themselves will send their views to the commission after debating the issue at tonight's overview select committee meeting.
Councillor Ted Cassidy, chairman of the overview scrutiny committee, said he thought 54 councillors was the right number for Leicester.
"I do not think we need more but I think we just about have it right," he said.
"I think we will take the view that any diminishing of councillor numbers would not be the right step.
"Having a directly elected mayor is a major change for this city.
"It's crucial we have full and considered scrutiny of what he does and inform him about any unintended consequences of what he does. It is a system that works very well."
City mayor Sir Peter said: "The scrutiny role of councillors is essential in helping me but it is not for me to say how many of them there should be. That will be decided by the boundary commission."
The commission will discuss the council's submission on its size in May. There will then be a series of consultations.
Any changes, if approved, will come into force in May 2015.
Do you think Leicester should have fewer councillors? Take part in our online poll at the top of this page.
35 Comments
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by Olwyn
Monday, April 08 2013, 11:24PM
“We hardly need a City Council. We have Pete the Little Dictator. What more do we need?
What indeed?”
by Southender
Thursday, March 14 2013, 7:38AM
“Leicester City should have less Councillors - they are a self interested and expensive bunch who clog up system and engage or represent communities on very superficial level .The City should also have another vote on whether we need a City mayor”
by Richy3
Thursday, March 14 2013, 6:30AM
“I like the term "AXED ".”
by democrat
Wednesday, March 13 2013, 8:28AM
“So how did the discussion go
Did they vote for Christmas or the trough?”
by NickDiPerna1
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 10:14PM
“You could actually have MORE councillors as long as the pay allowance is removed. This would attract genuine people instead of those who make a career out of politics.
A small team could run the whole of Leicester City Council on a shoestring budget using contractor services, thus cutting council tax in half for hard pressed workers.
Bloated bureaucracies only exist so that 'paper qualified' administrators can gain income and status without possessing any real talent. Get rid of em' all.”
by Neil0123
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 6:45PM
“We needed a fair selection of councillors when they, alone, were responsible for the decision making in Leicester. Now we have SPS & his team of deputies to make all the decisions then much of the councillors job is redundant so we need fewer of them.
When I lived in Beaumont Leys TWO councillors (Gordon Getliffe & Peter Westley) did the job perfectly well, so why do they now need THREE people to do the job?”
by cyberandy
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 5:05PM
“Introduce congestion charges - that's a brillant idea! The extra money raised could pay for more bus lanes. However, I'm not too sure what effect this would have on the number of councillors and what they do/don't do, apart from encouraging them not to drive to the council meetings.”
by philmaygo
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 4:45PM
“It`s about time Peter Soulsby went. Get rid of this Mayoral post and save over £10.000.000. at
a stroke, his grand schemes, that the vast majority of Leicester folk have voted against, but been
ignored, have been bulldozed through. The Soulsby Plaza, The Soulsby Bus lane, the Soulsby bus
station. None of these are needed. BUT when they are completed (and he will get his own way),
CONGESTION CHARGES WILL FOLLOW........ And our once great City center will wither away.
Once these charges against the motorist are applied, they will only increase in area and cost.
But the Billions that are paid by the motoring public every year, are not spent on our crumbling
roads, that are now at a stage that i would call dangerous to everyone.
So get your house (CITY) in order Sir Peter, improve the roads, clear the clutter that have been
slowing not only the cars but the buses as well, you can find the money for road humps that
damage buses,cars, bikes, but not to repair the roads properly, chucking a bucket of tarmac
in a hole in the road is not a proper repair, it`s out again within weeks.
Stop spending money on NEW ideas, lets repair and make do, till things improve.
Phil Mason”
by cyberandy
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 3:43PM
“Aristoc - I obviously didn't express myself too well in my previous post. When I said "do not vote for them in the next council elections" I did not mean refrain from voting totally, but vote instead for someone else who is standing for election in the same ward, who you think could do a better job. You could even stand as a councillor (or mayor) youself........By the way, you mention a rise in robberies and drug dealing - I thought we elected a Police and Crime Commissioner to deal with that?
Democrat - you mention Sir Peter's original proposed huge salary, my point is that the chief exec was paid even more. On some councils the chief exec is paid upto £250,000. And I never even suggested that people who didn't live in the city shouldn't comment.......”
by Banksider33
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 1:25PM
“There was a time when someone stood as a councillor because they were proud and wanted to represent the electorate.
Now a gravy train for those who see the financial rewards of allowances and payments for meeting as the real incentive, or a stepping stone for those with delusions of grandeur.
Constituencies have one MP, so why to 22 wards need 54 councillors?
One for one is what I say, and think of the savings.”