- Lewisham Mayor Liam Shrivastava will receive £93,575 a year.
- The salary is almost £5,000 higher than that of his Labour predecessor.
- Shrivastava had pledged to take a 20 per cent pay cut before the local elections.
Lewisham's newly elected Green mayor has come under scrutiny after receiving a pay rise despite pledging during the election campaign to take a 20 per cent salary cut.
Liam Shrivastava, who became mayor after the Green Party's breakthrough success in London's local elections, will be paid £93,575 a year. The figure is £4,832 higher than the £88,743 salary received by his Labour predecessor, representing an increase of around 5.4 per cent.
The development has drawn attention because of comments Shrivastava made before voters went to the polls on May 7, when he said he would reduce his pay if elected while the council sought significant savings elsewhere.
A pledge meets reality
Ahead of the election, Shrivastava said he would take a 20 per cent pay cut as a sign of leadership while Lewisham Council looked to make £50 million of savings over the following two years.
Council documents approving the new remuneration arrangements state that the increase was recommended by the Independent Remuneration Panel. The papers also note that Shrivastava intends to donate 20 per cent of the directly elected mayor's allowance to food justice initiatives.
The revised pay structure was approved at a full council meeting in May without debate.
Lewisham Council said the overall changes would be "cost neutral".
While the mayor's salary increased, other elements of the council's remuneration structure were also revised.
The deputy mayor's salary remains unchanged at £45,735 a year. A higher-tier allowance for certain cabinet members was abolished, with all nine cabinet members now set to receive £28,811 annually, compared with £17,932 previously.
Basic allowances for councillors will remain at £13,201.
Political pressure mounts
The issue has quickly become a point of criticism for opposition parties following the Greens' historic gains across London.
The party took control of Lewisham, Hackney and Waltham Forest in a significant setback for Labour. Since then, the Greens have also gone on to lead minority administrations in several other boroughs, including Lambeth, Southwark and Haringey.
Luke Taylor, the Liberal Democrats' London spokesperson, criticised the decision, saying it raised questions about trust and campaign commitments.
The row comes as the Greens seek to demonstrate that their electoral gains can translate into effective local government, while opponents continue to scrutinise how closely campaign promises match decisions taken after taking office.
