West of England Mayor Dan Norris gets £20k pay hike

Dan Norris, a former Labour MP, was elected as West of England mayor last April

West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris is set to receive a pay rise of £20,000 following a decision by council leaders.

Mr Norris, who lives in Somerset, will receive the 30% rise as £5,000 every year for the next four years, taking his salary from £67,000 to £87,000.

The approval was given at a West of England Combined Authority (WECA) committee meeting last week.

It was one of a series of budget proposals approved.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said approval was given following an "awkward silence" from the council leaders.

The rise will mean Mr Norris will be paid a higher salary than an MP, which starts at £81,932.

The 62-year-old previously served as a Labour MP for Wansdyke, Somerset, between 1997 and 2010.

The role of deputy mayor, which used to receive £13,000, will no longer be paid.

South Gloucestershire Council leader Toby Savage told BBC Radio Bristol before the meeting that WECA should be funding bus services, not politicians' income rises.

Other decisions included redirecting £384,000, destined for reserves, to rural bus services following a proposal at the meeting by Councillor Savage.

Members also agreed on a scheme to recruit more HGV drivers and a £1.5m rise in WECA's staffing costs.

The meeting also approved the next steps for "tap-on, tap-off" payments for bus passengers, the recent £540m transport settlement from the Government and the £50m WECA green recovery fund.

The Mayor of the West of England role covers Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset.