The Localism Act 2011 required the Council to publish an annual Pay Policy Statement, which must be approved by Council by 31st March each year. The Council’s Pay Policy Statement for 2023/24 was approved by Council on 1 March 2023, it applied a 4% pay increase for grades A – I. The report specified that senior manager pay would be reviewed and a further report submitted to Council.

The following points were raised:

·       Member disappointed with the current position and had no pleasure or enthusiasm in stating there was no other alternative but to agree the recommendation.

·       General Services Committee had originally unanimously agreed a pay freeze.

·       Member stated his deep disappointment not to be a position to vote in favour of the paper this evening. The issue was not over the pay itself, it was as he considered more of a dubious process, where an investigation had been undertaken on the historic lack of challenge from members and poor and incorrect advice provided from certain officers. This should have been recognised as a constitutional red flag. Member detailed the path of the report and concluded Members had been given the incorrect advice on several occasions. Members noted the counsel advise had been exempt and could not be disclosed in this public meeting.

·       Minutes from the 14 September 2023 extraordinary council would be updated to reflect the points of concern raised by Councillor Halden at that meeting.

·       Member requested an apology to all members on the process taken, an outline of how it had happened and reassurance that this would not happen again. Where advise had been provided which was wrong had to be addressed.

·       Member stated he could not vote in favour of the recommendation, based on previous advice, as this had been an entirely incorrect process, a process which had been challenged in the past. He was not confident that further errors were present and would abstain from the vote.

·       Member questioned how many challenges from officers had been received and questioned what the repercussions could be.

·       Member questioned whether senior officers deserved backdated pay.

·       Member strongly disagreed with the recommendation, this was an absolute disgrace as it was this chamber and a collective body of senior management that had bankrupted the council.

·       It was shocking that body could award itself or accept a 4% pay increase, was a lack of awareness.

·       Member had resigned from cabinet as had lost faith in the advice being provided by officers.

·       Member summed up by understanding some of the anger in the chamber this evening but stated it was not every officer that had bankrupted the council.

·       Thurrock had to be that council that respected the rules of law and risks would not be taken to defend a policy that could not be defended.

·       The advice previously provided was wrong and that was being addressed.

·       Steps would be taken to ensure this would not happen again.  

With 25 votes in favour, 5 votes against and 6 abstentions the recommendation was carried.

Members agreed the technology within the chamber had to be sorted before critical voting would be required.

The Mayor agreed to revert back to paper voting from October council.