For the second year in a row the Labour Group voted to freeze member’s allowances during a cost of living crisis.

We cannot justify increasing member pay whilst Mayor Lutfur Rahman and Aspire increase council tax by 4.99% and council rent by 7.7% for the next 3 years.

It is Mayor Lutfur Rahman who is spending over £5m of tax payer’s money on personal advisors and consultants.

Every single Aspire councillor (bar one) receives thousands of pounds in extra allowances, on top of their basic councillor allowance.

The Mayor and Aspire group can take cheap shots and wax lyrical about freezing allowances, but his cabinet of yes men and army of speech writers are doing just fine whilst they increase taxes and rents for our residents.