The leader of a cash-strapped Labour council has sparked outrage after handing himself a 33 per cent pay rise.
Cambridge City Council leader Cameron Holloway will be paid £31,276 a year compared to his previous amount of £23,459 - when the allowance was last reviewed.
Holloway, who only became leader in May, will get the pay bump despite the council facing a £3.6million budget gap.
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The council is also giving out grants of up to £30,000 to projects, including crockery lessons for asylum seekers.
A council spokesman told The Telegraph the pay increase "reflects the step-change in workload in recent years and additional responsibilities linked to the pace of growth in Cambridge, and work with the Cambridge Growth Company”.
The spokesman added that leaders at the council "regularly work 60+ hours" a week.
"Without offering a level of remuneration comparable to the national living wage, the position of leader would be restricted to retirees and the independently wealthy," the spokesman said.
"Which limits opportunity for good candidates to put themselves forward."
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Councillor Cameron Holloway
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However, Conservatives consider Holloway "work-shy", with Tory MP Paul Holmes alleging Holloway "has been caught with his hand in the till".
As well as the salary, councillors are also paid an allowance - intended on reimbursing them for their time and expenses for working outside their local council.
It comes months after the council was slammed for advertising a job contract for "asylum seekers and refugees", worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Independent MP Rupert Lowe said the contract, worth £250,000 was a "disgrace".
Cambridge City Council
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He added that "it's our money funding this" and "we are being ripped off".
The contract, titled 'The Provision of Specialist advice and support for asylum seekers and refugees', was open to applicants since February 10.
The contract is worth £250,000 and must be delivered by March 31, 2028.
The job description read: "Cambridge City Council supports the resettlement of displaced people who have travelled to the UK on various routes.
Cambridge town centre
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"As a Council, we recognise that world events can quickly influence what is required of a service for asylum seekers and refugees.
"Therefore, it is important that any service is flexible to these needs and has an existing understanding of different customs and cultures, as well as a passion to work in this field."
Included in the list of responsibilities, which are not "exhaustive and is likely to change over time", was to understand and work to tackle institutional discrimination through promoting anti-racist practice.
The winning provider was expected to "advocate for the rights of asylum seekers and refugees".
Cambridge
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It was also expected to "promote cultural activities within the city".
The contract sparked backlash from users on X who said "I pay council tax in Cambridge, and I am indeed outraged".
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