In February 2006, a few months before Labour lost power in Hammersmith and Fulham, they introduced a system of paying co-optees to sit on council committees. There is no legal requirement to pay co-optee allowances – under the Local Government Act 2000 and the Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003, a co-optee can be paid an allowance if the Council elects to do so.

They decided lining the pockets of their cronies with money from the Council Taxpayer was a key spending priority.

Now they are taking up where they left off. They are proposing at this evening’s meeting council meeting a big increase in the number of paid co-optees. They will be paid £504 a year for half a dozen meetings – even if they don’t turn up!

Over seven committees that means a bill to the Council Taxpayer of £17,640. They claim this will ” be met from this existing budget” but no details are given as to what will be cut to fund Labour’s cronyism.