New Green Mayor of London borough hikes salary by almost £5,000 despite vowing to cut pay before election

The new Green Party leader of a southeast London borough has increased his salary by almost £5,000 despite vowing to take a 20% pay cut in the run up to the local elections.

Lewisham mayor Liam Shrivastava will be paid £93,575-a-year, up from the £88,743 wage received by his Labour predecessor – a rise of 5.4%.

Mr Shrivastava said he has vowed to donate a fifth of his pay to “food justice” charities and has instructed the town hall to make the deduction every month.

But ahead of the local elections on May 7, Mr Shrivastava said: “If elected Mayor, I will take a 20% pay cut.

“When the council is looking to make £50 million in cuts over the next two years, it’s only right that we display leadership on this issue and show our residents that we recognise the scale of the challenges we face.”

While in opposition, the Green Party in March tabled a budget amendment proposing a 20% pay cut for the Lewisham mayor and senior cabinet members to help finance the reversal of over £2 million in planned cuts to local services.

Mr Shrivastava’s deputy will continue to receive £45,735. A higher tier salary for some cabinet members of £45,735 was abolished and all nine people who hold the position will now be paid £28,811-a-year, up from £17,932.

General allowances for all councillors will also remain at £13,201.

The new pay structure was voted through without debate at a full council meeting in May.

Mr Shrivastava said: “My allowance increased in line with recommendations from the Independent Remuneration Panel and was agreed by council.

“Combined with other changes to the cabinet structure, the changes are cost neutral and will not cost taxpayers a penny more.

“When I stood for election, I made a pledge to do politics differently and show solidarity with residents struggling under the cost-of-living crisis.

“I consistently said I would donate part of my allowance to food justice work, and I am happy to confirm that I have asked the council’s payroll to apply the 20% deduction each month; that money will be used to fund food justice initiatives in Lewisham.”

London Liberal Democrat spokesman Luke Taylor said: “It’s no surprise the Greens are being found out for their empty campaign promises, but even I didn’t think it would happen so quickly.

“Local politics is built on trust, and for so many people who hoped for a fresh start after May 7, to have that trust chipped away within a fortnight will be devastating.

“It’s looking increasingly like the Greens and Reform have the same approach to local government – empty, undeliverable promises and style over substance.”

In a disastrous day for Labour, Sir Keir Starmer’s party lost control of Lewisham, Hackney and Waltham Forest to the Greens.

Westminster, Barnet and Wandsworth, the three flagship London boroughs Labour won for the first time in 2022, were also lost to the Tories and no overall control respectively.

Brent, Enfield, Haringey and Southwark fell from Labour to no overall control.

The Greens have since seized control of Southwark and Haringey, where the party leads minority administrations and in Lambeth, where a Green leader is in charge in coalition with the Liberal Democrats.