North Somerset Council vote against Motion opposing Regional Pay

Tonight North Somerset Council debated a Motion opposing Regional Pay proposed by Labour councillor Richard Tucker. 9 councillors, including Labour, Green, Independent and Lib Dem got up to ensure that the motion was debated, but when Councillor Tucker asked for a named vote so that every public sector worker in North Somerset would know where their councillors stood on the matter, the Lib Dems didn't get up and so the named vote did not take place, and thanks to the massive Tory majority in North Somerset the Motion was voted against.

North Somerset Tories have shown precisely how they feel about public sector workers across the district, and public sector workers in turn must show how they feel about North Somerset Tories at the ballot box in 2015.

It is a huge disappointment for UNISON that Liberal Democrats, who nationally have opposed regional pay, did not use their votes to allow for a named vote, and also that 2 out of 3 of them went on to abstain from voting on the motion. Lib Dem councillor Mike Bell was absent from tonight's council meeting because he was at Lib Dem conference voting for a motion opposing regional pay - here's the link:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5j2lWfRXcIfQWdEanJEaHhIMXc/edit

North Somerset UNISON members watched the debate from the public gallery and were joined by members of the local Labour and Green parties.

As far as the debate went Councillors Tucker, Gibbons, Leimdorfer, Davies and Willis spoke to support the Motion opposing Regional Pay. Councillor Willis went on to abstain in the vote.

Councillors Lake, Blatchford and Ashton (all Tory Executive members) spoke to oppose the motion and support Regional Pay.

In the end the vote was: 9 For, 27 Against, 8 Abstentions.

12 councillors sent their apologies.

North Somerset has 61 councillors.

Here is the list of councillors who stood up and voted for the motion opposing regional pay at tonight's meeting:

Richard Tucker, Labour, Weston East
Catherine Gibbons, Labour, Weston East
Bob Bateman, Labour, Weston South
Ian Parker, Labour, Weston South
Tom Leimdorfer, Green, Congresbury
Donald Davies, Independent, Pill
Geoff Coombs, Independent, Backwell
Deborah Yamanaka, Lib Dem, Wrington
Karen Barclay, Independent, Backwell

Here is a list of those 8 councillors who abstained, including a few brave Conservatives:

Roz Willis, Conservative, Weston Milton & Old Worle
Jan Barber, Conservative, Nailsea East
Phil Judd, Conservative, Weston North Worle
Linda Knott, Conservative, Clevedon South
Marcia Pepperall, Conservative, Weston North Worle
Mark Canniford, Lib Dem, Weston West
John Crockford-Hawley, Lib Dem, Weston West
Hugh Gregor, Independent, Winford

2 councillors were unable to vote or take part in the debate because they are NHS workers or the partners of NHS workers. These councillors were:

Debbie Stone, Labour, Weston South
Robert Payne, Lib-Dem, Weston West

The following councillors were absent from the meeting and sent apologies:

Mike Bell, Lib Dem, Weston Central
Andy Cole, Independent, Nailsea East
Ann Harley, Conservative, Banwell & Winscombe
Clare Kingsbury-Bell, Lib Dem, Weston Central
Reyna Knight, Conservative, Portishead Central
Alan McMurray, Conservative, Portishead South & North Weston
Tony Moulin, Independent, Yatton
John Norton-Sealey, Conservative, Clevedon Walton
David Poole, Conservative, Clarence & Uphill
Ian Porter, Conservative, Kewstoke
David Shopland, Independent, Clevedon East
Liz Wells, Conservative, Blagdon & Churchill

This means that it's very likely that 27 out of the 30 following were the 27 councillors who voted against the motion and therefore support regional pay:

Elfan Ap Rees, Conservative, Hutton & Locking
Nigel Ashton, Conservative, Gordano
Felicity Baker, Conservative, Portishead Redcliff Bay
Chris Blades, Conservative, Clevedon West
Jeremy Blatchford, Conservative, Nailsea North & West
Mary Blatchford, Conservative, Nailsea North & West
Peter Bryant, Conservative,Weston Clarence & Uphill
Charles Cave, Conservative,Wraxall & Long Ashton
Robert Cleland, Conservative,Weston South Worle
Bob Cook, Conservative,Wraxall & Long Ashton
Peter Crew, Conservative, Weston South Worle
Carl Francis-Pester, Conservative, Easton-in-Gordano
Stephen Fudge, Conservative, Weston Milton & Old Worle
Bob Garner, Conservative, Clevedon North
Colin Hall, Conservative, Clevedon Yeo
David Hitchins, Conservative, Weston South Worle
Jill Iles, Conservative, Yatton
David Jolley, Conservative, Portishead West
Anne Kemp, Conservative, Nailsea North & West
Tony Lake, Conservative, Banwell & Winscombe
Tim Marter, Conservative, Banwell & Winscombe
David Pasley, Conservative, Portishead Coast
Dawn Payne, Conservative, Weston East
Nick Pennycott, Conservative, Clevedon Central
Lisa Pilgrim, Conservative, Weston Milton & Old Worle
Terry Porter, Conservative, Hutton & Locking (Chairman)
Sonia Russe, Conservative, Weston North Worle
Arthur Terry, Conservative, Portishead East
Annabel Tall, Conservative, Yatton
Clive Webb, Conservative, Weston Clarence & Uphill

And 3 of the above 30 didn't put their hand up to vote for, against or abstain.

So if your councillor is on the list of those who voted against the motion and therefore support regional pay, or on the list of abstentions and apologies, why don't you write to them and try to change their mind by telling them what the impact will be on you, your family and your community.