A LEADING Bolton Liberal Democrat has called for all councillors to be paid at least £20,000 a year to work as full-time professionals.

Cllr Martyn Cox, member for Horwich and Blackrod, has decided not to stand for re-election in next month's local poll, citing family and work pressures and "frustration" with the way local government works.

Cllr Cox has his own business, Farnworth-based construction company George Cox & Sons and also wants to spend more time with his wife Rosa and three children Carolina, Andrew and Marianne.

He believes councillors should be paid as full-time employees to encourage more people on low incomes, and those who have to work to support families, to stand for election.

Cllr Cox says the change would not cost tax-payers more money, calling for it to be funded by halving the number of councillors from 60 to 30.

The 39-year-old, who spent two years as executive member for children's services after being elected as a councillor in 2003, said: "I've found it very difficult being a ward councillor, a dad, a company director and a police authority member.

"I just haven't been able to put in the hours a councillor needs to.

"Councils are structured in such a way that it makes it difficult for young people, people in the middle of a career and people with families to be councillors.

"Finance is not an issue for me, but many people don't have the money or time to do that sort of thing and it's very much in favour of retired men - I think there is only one woman under the age of 45 on the council at the moment.

"There are a number of ways you could change that. You could have fewer councillors, but make them better paid, so people can do it as a career rather than as a part-time job and you could have more evening meetings."

Cllr Cox, who is also Bolton's member on the Greater Manchester Police Authority, believes every councillor should receive a salary of around £20,000, with the ten executive members getting £30,000.

The role is currently voluntary, although every councillor receives a basic allowcance of £8,567, with other members getting more for special responsibilities.

The council leader is paid an extra £21,927 and executive members recieve an additional £10,964.

The allowances bill for 2005/06, the last year for which figures are available, was £725,000.

Cllr Cox added that, as an executive member, he had been "frustrated" by his lack of control over how money was spent locally.

  • Peter McGeehan will contest Cllr Cox's seat for the Lib Dems. John Raymond Barrow will represent the Conservative party while Isabel Seddon will stand for Labour.