Ben Houchen set for 74% payrise

[Middlesbrough123]

I wonder what you’d need to do in that job to be considered a successful and would most people know they difference

 

[Corcaigh_the_Cat]

The issue of pay is that these roles are evolutionary. So at the time the 5 councils that make up the metro area will have taken independent legal counsel on what the pay should be based on the role and responsibility. This is regularly reviewed and the roles have already changed a lot from when they were first envisioned in 2011. We can’t compare one area to another in a blanket way. Greater Manchester for example has a lot of devolved decisions which include the police and hospitals. So although also a metro mayor we can’t compare the two roles. When they first created these roles they were very mindful of pay levels and definitely under valued the role.

IMO the role is vital to the area and should be paid accordingly. I would prefer they pay for the office as a whole and the mayor can decide how much of their own budget they can spend on their own wage and how much on the comms team etc. it is incredibly frustrating when these roles increase the “office of mayor” size and then also increase the council tax precepts.

I don't think the role is vital at all. Nothing is being done that didn't happen under Teesside, Cleveland or the separate authorities.

 

[SNEEKERS]

Highly qualified nurse running ITU literally making life or death decisions often managing multidisciplinary teams with budgets of millions, ironically on about 37 K. I think we have it wrong it many ways, prefer to concentrate on that one.

 

[Same_as_before]

CtC has it on the nail. The role is pointless, it's why we have local MPs. You can add to that the Police Commissionaire they add nothing.

There should be a Head of Local Audit, individual on £150,000, maximum term 12 years. Not part of any political party or government office. Get rid of all other audit functions and let them report in our case The Evening Gazette, every six months.

 

[DidsburySmog92]

I don't think the role is vital at all. Nothing is being done that didn't happen under Teesside, Cleveland or the separate authorities.

I work in politics and honestly there is an enormous difference but I don’t want a debate about it. But regardless of whether you want the role or not it’s the only way available - especially after the devolution referendum and the reform of the Regional Growth Fund. More devolution and tax raising powers means more central accountability - if we want one we have to accept the other. And that accountability should come with a salary package that matched the responsibility.

Whether the person is doing a good job or not is a different question.

 

[ForssAwakens]

Highly qualified nurse running ITU literally making life or death decisions often managing multidisciplinary teams with budgets of millions, ironically on about 37 K. I think we have it wrong it many ways, prefer to concentrate on that one.

This seems incorrect

You’ve quoted top of band 6 salary. A sisters post.

Band 7 is a ward manager, so not running dept

Band 8a is where they drum departments within the nhs, their salary is around 55k

 

[Corcaigh_the_Cat]

I work in politics and honestly there is an enormous difference but I don’t want a debate about it. But regardless of whether you want the role or not it’s the only way available - especially after the devolution referendum and the reform of the Regional Growth Fund. More devolution and tax raising powers means more central accountability - if we want one we have to accept the other. And that accountability should come with a salary package that matched the responsibility.

Whether the person is doing a good job or not is a different question.

We rejected the elected mayor nonsense in Stockton, our most progressive local authority.

We had the ridiculous 'metro mayor' thrust upon us. As a career politician you're bound to support more layers of government, that doesn't mean it's good for the rest of us.

 

[DidsburySmog92]

We rejected the elected mayor nonsense in Stockton, our most progressive local authority.

We had the ridiculous 'metro mayor' thrust upon us. As a career politician you're bound to support more layers of government, that doesn't mean it's good for the rest of us.

It’s interesting because the “we don’t need more politicians” line is exactly what the anti-devolution campaign said back when New Labour were trying to introduce regional assemblies.

For the avoidance of doubt I am not a career politician so let’s burn that straw man to start with.

Combined authorities are a different beast to the traditional local govt structure though isn’t it? Metro mayors are not an alternative way to structure committee/cabinet or council leader/mayor and cabinet models. So I don’t 100% get the linking with LA constitutional change with the Metro Mayors line - Stockton chose a council leader over a mayor to run the LA, fair enough. Other than that every LA (including Stockton) agreed to the Metro Mayor (only Darlington struggled). And in fact lobbied govt hard to have a separate Tees Valley area that mapped the Local Enterprise Partnership.

Areas coming together identifying that actually normal people and the private sector don’t see local authority boundaries as anything but complexity and a barrier to investment. It allows for equity of certain local levies (such as business rates) in which one local authority can have disproportionately larger shares of tax raising because of housing stock/business park/retail park/population. A big benefit has been the clear central leadership of an economic area. Where previously local authorities competed with one another, they now have a common economic and political area with common goals to work towards. That is a positive.

It’s all still in it’s early days to be honest. And there has been lots of issues with the implementation. Scrutiny is poor, there are big differences in leadership styles and competence. But coming back to the main point - the political office of a metro mayor should be paid more than £37k.

 

[MickaelDebevePhenomenal]

If anybody on here thinks he takes home £37000 they must be dafter than I ever could imagine.

'Like Warnock being blamed for Boro's 2009 relegation' - Mayor responds to links to company involved in VAT fraud

A MAYOR linked to a company implicated in a large scale VAT fraud which later donated £15,000 to him has claimed allegations are "utter…

www.thenorthernecho.co.uk

About the Mayor - Ben Houchen

Ben Houchen was elected as the Mayor of the Tees Valley in May 2017. The Tees Valley area covers the five boroughs of Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, and Stockton-on-Tees.

www.benhouchen.com

South Tees Development Corporation

In August 2017 the South Tees Development Corporation was officially launched by Prime Minister Theresa May.

www.benhouchen.com

Just look at the companies he has been invloved in where he has resigned or/and the company has been disolved. These are all within 6 years FFS

Ben HOUCHEN personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK

Free company information from Companies House including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity

find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk

I will be very careful about what I say however I was involved with a institution that lost out significantly financially due to his slippery financial dealings. Lets just say Mel Morris would blush as his dealings!!!!!!

 

[Billy69_uk]

 

[Corcaigh_the_Cat]

It’s interesting because the “we don’t need more politicians” line is exactly what the anti-devolution campaign said back when New Labour were trying to introduce regional assemblies.

For the avoidance of doubt I am not a career politician so let’s burn that straw man to start with.

Combined authorities are a different beast to the traditional local govt structure though isn’t it? Metro mayors are not an alternative way to structure committee/cabinet or council leader/mayor and cabinet models. So I don’t 100% get the linking with LA constitutional change with the Metro Mayors line - Stockton chose a council leader over a mayor to run the LA, fair enough. Other than that every LA (including Stockton) agreed to the Metro Mayor (only Darlington struggled). And in fact lobbied govt hard to have a separate Tees Valley area that mapped the Local Enterprise Partnership.

Areas coming together identifying that actually normal people and the private sector don’t see local authority boundaries as anything but complexity and a barrier to investment. It allows for equity of certain local levies (such as business rates) in which one local authority can have disproportionately larger shares of tax raising because of housing stock/business park/retail park/population. A big benefit has been the clear central leadership of an economic area. Where previously local authorities competed with one another, they now have a common economic and political area with common goals to work towards. That is a positive.

It’s all still in it’s early days to be honest. And there has been lots of issues with the implementation. Scrutiny is poor, there are big differences in leadership styles and competence. But coming back to the main point - the political office of a metro mayor should be paid more than £37k.

I'm not saying we don't need more politicians. As a Teessider you'll recognise the damage done to regional cooperation by the ending of Cleveland County council. We were stripped of politicians and local representation. In its place came the metro mayor. How does that improve our lot?

 

[DidsburySmog92]

I'm not saying we don't need more politicians. As a Teessider you'll recognise the damage done to regional cooperation by the ending of Cleveland County council. We were stripped of politicians and local representation. In its place came the metro mayor. How does that improve our lot?

I think it could improve our lot. Having the clearly accountable central leadership is good in principle. Although totally agree on the end of the county structure which ripped apart what were clear “communities”. I think the metro mayors are a round about way of admitting that it was daft to create some of the LAs that exist now and the need for more regional economic strategy.

Do I have faith in the metro mayors being able to do it? Probably not. The scrutiny is poor and they spend more money on their own communications teams than on policy. They need to be open and accountable outside of elections. At the moment they decide the level of scrutiny they have which is crazy. But even then - local councillors need to be good enough to clinically scrutinise and the quality is shocking.

Guess I would rather accept the step-by-step approach to getting this sorted rather than total rejection of it. But I do empathise with what you are saying.

 

[Andy_W]

37k salary, and 370k of brown envelopes and "expenses".

 

[Andy_W]

Any individual who has the power of veto on council tax, a sign off on contracts worth millions of pounds, the right force compulsory purchase arrangements on sites, has a personal staff and a budget worth at least £15m per annum should be paid more than £37k, obviously there are things that don't make a lot of sense like how the Mayor in 2018/19 managed to spend over £30k on Facebook advertising on an allowance of £35k without spending a penny of tax raised money but that shouldn't detract from the point that an organisation that has the scope of influence that the TVCA has then the person at the head should command more than a £37k salary.

Clever for him spending that on FB advertising mind, aiming that advertising squarely at the older generations he can target by social media, that's right out of the Dominic Cummings play book.

It's effectively like buying votes, with the best bang for buck, but why does the TVM need to advertise at all?