Borough MP responds to claim about councillor allowance

James Grundy has spoken after a national politics and current affairs magazine highlighted him in a discussion about parliamentarians still receiving money for their roles as councillors.
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Mr Grundy, the Conservative representative for Leigh in the House of Commons, said he has not simply pocketed the money he has received as a councillor for Lowton East ward since he was elected to Westminster.

Instead, he said he has been giving the money to local good causes but had been doing so quietly.

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The matter, though, came out into the open after the £12,918 Mr Grundy receives was listed in Private Eye.

James Grundy MPJames Grundy MP
James Grundy MP

The magazine was highlighting MPs elected in 2019 who are still doubling up as local councillors.

Some of the politicians are listed as having said they are donating their councillors’ allowances to charity, but no mention of this was made in Mr Grundy’s case.

This prompted an emphatic response from Mr Grundy about the beneficiaries of his council allowance. He also said he had not been approached to clarify the situation.

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Mr Grundy said: “During the election, I promised if elected as Leigh’s MP, I would donate the remainder of my councillor’s salary to local charitable and community organisations.

“I had also intended to stand down in my role as councillor last year. However, due to Covid-19 and the cancellation of last year ’s local elections, this was not possible.

“So far, I have donated to a number of local charities and organisations that provide services that benefit my council ward constituents.

“However, I personally requested that this was not publicised, as I do not wish for my donations to be seen merely as a publicity stunt. Any remaining funds from my councillor’s allowance that remain unspent by the time I stand down as a councillor, will also be donated to local charities to support their fantastic work in our community.

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“I am disappointed that Private Eye did not seek to contact me before publishing their article.”

Mr Grundy’s office said half a dozen local organisations in Lowton and Golborne had received between £1,000 and £1,150 so far from his councillor’s allowance.

A further £3,000 has also been pledged to support three other grassroots groups in the area.

Among the causes which have benefitted are the restoration of a Lowton community hall, a hedgehog rescue concern and a project to help homeless people.

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Another community venue and two residents’ organisations have had money promised to them.

Private Eye said that in total 42 first-time MPs who made it to the House of Commons in the 2019 intake were sitting councillors.

At least 18 of them stopped claiming their local politics allowances in 2020, the magazine said.

There is nothing in law that says MPs have to step down as councillors, but it is conventional for them to do so due to the workload of the roles.

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