Isle Of Wight Councillors Back Pay Rise After 25-Year Review

Councillors on the Isle of Wight have voted to be paid hundreds of pounds more in basic allowances.

Full council decided to approve the Members’ Allowance Scheme 2026/2027 on Wednesday evening (January 21) which includes a £10,800 per year basic allowance from April 1.

This is a £676 increase from the current £10,124 allowance.

A motion to support the increase, following a recommendation from the Isle of Wight Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP), was put forward by Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Andrew Garratt.

The IRP carried out the first fundamental review of the basic allowance for councillors in 25 years.

It found that “not a particularly diverse picture emerges” when reviewing current Isle of Wight councillors.

The approved £10,800 figure is predicted to be generally in line with inflation from 2024 to 2026.

The panel’s report said:

“The last time such a fundamental review was done was in 2000, when the allowance was set at £5,400 and it is now £10,124, a rise of 87 per cent over the quarter century.

“Comparing that rise with the cost of living over the same period suggests that it has not kept pace with inflation as the Retail Prices Index increased by 136 per cent over a similar timespan.

“Nevertheless, the Isle of Wight Council basic allowance compares reasonably well with other councils, remaining in the middle of the table of allowances of other unitary councils in the South-East region.

“Firstly, the panel considered the question of what the aim of the basic allowance should be and articulated that it should be neither an incentive to seek election as a councillor, nor should it be a deterrent to standing for election.

“We reiterate the point we made last year that the allowances’ scheme can contribute to the development of a diverse and balanced council.”