AT last month’s full St Helens Council meeting, councillors voted to award themselves a 10.5 per cent increase in their basic allowance (this will see the annual allowance rise from £8,236 to £9,108 from April).

This came after the leader of the council announced that unless drastic cuts were made, the council may go bankrupt.

To their credit some other councillors, after being told they could not forgo the pay rise, said that it was not appropriate at the present time and said they plan to donate their increase to fund projects within their wards.

Nice to know that some people have principles!

Brian Renshall, via sthelensstar.co.uk