The leader of City of Wolverhampton Council, Cllr Stephen Simkins, is set to receive an increase of over £1,100 in his allowance this year. As the leader of the Labour-run council, Cllr Simkins will now earn a special responsibility allowance of £33,500 for his role. Meanwhile, the leader of the council’s main opposition group, Reform’s Cllr Celia Hibbert, will see her allowance rise to £15,000 from £14,364.
These increases come as recognition of the demanding nature of the council leader’s position and the crucial role played by the opposition leader in keeping the administration accountable.
All 60 councillors in Wolverhampton receive a basic allowance of £13,340 annually. Beyond this, the council leader and opposition leaders receive additional allowances, with cabinet members granted £17,958. Chairs and vice chairs of committees, as well as the mayor and deputy mayor, also receive further compensation on top of the basic allowance.
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Deputy leader Cllr Steve Evans will continue to receive an allowance of £23,940, unchanged from previous years.
The changes were made following recommendations from the independent remuneration panel (IRP), responsible for setting councillor pay, and were approved in a vote at the council’s annual meeting on May 20.
While the IRP recommended reducing allowances for committee chairs—including key scrutiny, planning, and audit committees—these proposed cuts were ultimately rejected. The council also opted to increase the opposition leader’s allowance despite no recommendation to do so.
Under the panel’s proposals, allowances for chairs of the planning, scrutiny, pension, and governance and ethics committees would have been reduced by around £400-£1,200.
During the meeting, Cllr Jeszemma Howl, cabinet member for governance and digital, emphasized that lowering compensation for important council roles might discourage individuals from standing for these positions. A councillor allowances report presented by Cllr Howl highlighted concerns about how current allowance levels affect the ability of councillors with employment, caregiving responsibilities, or limited personal income to participate fully without financial hardship.
The report stated: “Wider issues were raised about the impact of current allowance levels on the accessibility of councillor roles, particularly for those in employment, with caring responsibilities, or without independent income. They highlighted that they may incur financial detriment through unpaid leave, use of annual leave, or other personal costs in carrying out their duties. The importance of maintaining a diverse and representative council was important in securing fair representation of the city.”