Andy Street rejects 20% pay rise as ‘deeply inappropriate to even consider’
The Mayor of the West Midlands has declined a pay rise as it seemed “wrong” to accept during the cost of living crisis.
Andy Street was offered a 20% pay increase from £79,000 to £95,000 by the Independent Remuneration Panel. He took to Twitter to say, “It would be deeply inappropriate for me to even consider a rise at a time of hardship for so many”.
He told the BBC, “It’s very straightforward. At this time when so many people are facing challenges in their personal finances it just seems wrong for me to take what’s actually a pretty substantial pay increase.”
He said the conurbation was “trying where we can to help people with their everyday expenditure” by freezing bus fares and not introducing a mayoral tax.
Street has remained on the same salary since he was first elected in 2017.
The IRP has also recommended setting up a Deputy Mayoral allowance of £31,675 backdated to May 2021. However, Bob Sleigh said he would only be prepared to take a maximum of £10,000 for the additional role whilst he remained in his current role as a Solihull councillor and cabinet member.
Ravi Subramanian, Regional Secretary for UNISON in the West Midlands said: “We are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis with inflation running over 10%.
“It is simply outrageous that the Conservative West Midlands Metro Mayor, Andy Street will see his allowance increase by over 20% while the public sector workers who kept the country running during the pandemic are being offered below inflation pay offers, which is effectively a pay cut.
“Nurses have been offered less than 6% and UNISON will shortly be balloting them and other NHS workers about taking strike action. UNISON knows that this jaw dropping increase in the mayoral allowance will only spur on our members to vote yes to strike action.”
The submissions are to be considered at a meeting next Friday (October 28).
