Southwark Council has approved its member allowances scheme for the 2026-2027 financial year, maintaining the current structure and values for councillors' remuneration. The decision was made during a Council Assembly meeting on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. The scheme, which takes effect from April 1, 2026, largely carries over existing arrangements, with the rationale being that the scheme was drafted subject to potential uplifts to the national local government pay settlement which had not yet been agreed at the time of the meeting.
Under the approved scheme, all councillors will continue to receive a basic annual allowance of £15,059. Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs), paid in addition to the basic allowance for councillors undertaking significant additional duties, will also remain unchanged. These SRAs are tiered, with roles such as Mayor and Leader of the Council receiving the highest allowances, while vice-chairs of committees and deputy cabinet members receive lower amounts.
The 'Member Allowances Scheme 2026-2027' document provides a detailed breakdown of these bands and their corresponding allowances, as well as specific roles. For example, Band 1a includes roles like Vice-chair of overview & scrutiny committee, Vice-chair of planning committees (major applications), Deputy leader of the majority opposition, Leader of the minority opposition, Opposition whip, and Neighbourhoods champion. Band 4 is reserved for the Leader, who receives the highest SRA. The 'The Remuneration of Councillors in London 2023' report also outlines categories of responsibility for which SRAs may be paid, including membership of the executive, leadership of political groups, presiding at committee meetings, and representing the authority on outside bodies.
During the meeting, an amendment proposed by Councillor Graham Neale and seconded by Councillor Emily Tester, which recommended specific changes to the SRAs including regrading certain roles and introducing a cap on the total SRA budget for cabinet member positions, was put to a vote and declared lost. This amendment had proposed a saving of £348,678 per year.
The process for reviewing and setting councillor allowances in future years involves having regard to the recommendations of an independent remuneration panel, specifically the London Councils Independent Remuneration Panel. The council is required to agree on an annual basis a schedule of allowances for the following financial year. The 'Member Allowances Scheme 2026-2027' report notes that the scheme is adjusted in line with the national local government officer pay settlement and allowances for officers, unless a different approach is agreed by council assembly. The London Councils Independent Remuneration Panel indicated in their 2023 report that they would convene in the final quarter of 2024 to review the implementation of their recommendations and consider updated salary data.
In comparison to other local authorities, the 'The Remuneration of Councillors in London 2023' report indicates that basic allowances per annum in London are significantly lower than those paid in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The report also notes that allowances in many London boroughs are considerably lower than remuneration received by workers in London with comparative levels of responsibilities and skills. For example, Birmingham's basic allowance in 2022-23 was £18,876, and Manchester's was £18,841, compared to London's recommended basic allowance of £15,960. The report also highlights substantial differences in SRAs for similar roles across London boroughs.
