LIKE Tony Baker (Letters May 9), husband of a Malvern Hills district councillor, I feel it is only fair to offer the public an insight into the other side of the coin.
I cannot respect a councillor who bleats about the financial side post-election. Residents should know in advance if someone is unhappy with the rate for the role, enabling the electorate to consider the merits of alternative candidates at election.
Melanie Baker voted with 19 other councillors on February 25 for the following ‘allowance’ changes (the money comes from the pockets and purses of taxpayers, many of them pensioners):
Leader: £2,100; deputy leader from £7,350; chairman of audit committee from £70 per meeting to £1,050; chairmen of area development control management committees from £4,200 each; chairman of standards committee from £1,050; political group leaders £962.
Green party leader Julian Roskams voted against this and vowed to donate same to charity. An honourable man with principles to match.
Martin Lawrence
Malvern town councillor
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