Councillors need to lead from the front; VOICE OF THE NORTH.

THE deputy leader of Newcastle City Council claims I am guilty of spin (Voice of the North, September 21), accuses me of making untrue statements to Journal readers and points out that the leader of the council is paid less than others in Tyne and Wear.

I did not criticise the allowance paid to the council leader. I was expressing concern about the cost of councillor allowances in general.

However, since the issue has been raised, I think readers have a right to know the amounts involved. In 2008/09, the leader received a total allowance of pounds 30,024 along with other perks and receives over pounds 8,000 as a board member of One North East.

Coun Faulkner claimed that increases in councillor allowances have been "pegged" to the increases for council workers. As far as I was aware, council workers received pay increases of between 1% and 1.5% this year, whilst councillors saw their allowances rise by 2.25%. Council tax rose by 2.9% in April, which was above the rate of inflation. Perhaps in Lib Dem Spin-land, inflation went up by more than 3% and council workers got 2.25% but in Newcastle they did not.

Newcastle has more councillors relative to its population size than other major cities. There are over 270,000 people living in Newcastle and each one of us paid pounds 2.45 for the basic councillor allowance before the increase compared to pounds 1.90 per person in Conservativecontrolled Birmingham, a difference of about pounds 150,000.

I do not believe that all councillors in Newcastle are simply trying to line their own pockets, but they need to lead from the front and put services first.

JASON SMITH, Chairman of Newcastle Conservatives and Spokesman for Westerhope Ward, Benton House, Front Street, Four Lane Ends, Newcastle upon Tyne NE7 7UJ ([e-mail])