Labour leader of Gateshead Council, Martin Gannon, is in a bit of a pickle at the moment. It looks like he has bitten off more than he can chew but I hope he isn't going to make a meal of it. It has come to light that subsistence allowance claims by Martin from 2014-2017 amount to £5003.64. In those years, the Council spent a total of £9623.06 on subsistence for all councillors. So, in a budget for 66 councillors, over half was spent on pies and sandwiches for one member. Most councillors (regardless of party) claim nothing.
The allowance is meant to cover the cost of food while on normal council duties. Half the budget being spent on food for one member is a bit hard to swallow. We could chew this over for a bit and no doubt residents who pay for Martin's meals may want to pick a bone with him. As Leader, Martin already has a lot on his plate. He should feel a great pudding over this issue.
It seems Martin has turned the council into his own food bank, I told the local media. If you want to sink your teeth into the story, follow this link.
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