Picnic protest over £2,700 Sandwell mayor's meal

It will be the second year in a row councillor Philip Garrett, who represents the Princes End ward, will shun the three-course meal, which costs around £2,700 to stage.

UKIP supporters will gather outside the council offices in Oldbury while councillors attend the event on May 26, to be held after a meeting of the authority.

Councillor Garrett said the meal was a 'smack in the face' for people who had been forced to use foodbanks across the borough.

"The meal makes me very uncomfortable," he said. "In my town of Tipton the foodbank has served over 15,000 people in its existence but councillors are to have a three-course meal on the taxpayers tab.

"Some people are not that lucky. It makes me nauseous to be honest.

"But it is not enough to say I will not go. I did that last year and it has clearly had no effect. They are not willing to drop it. That is why we are saying we will do this protest."

Councillor Garrett added his opposition was not all about money. He said what the meal represented, while many Sandwell residents are struggling financially, was offensive.

UKIP is in inviting anyone who wants to join their protest from 6.30pm to donate £5 which will be used to support the borough's foodbanks.

Darren Cooper, the council's Labour leader, said the protest was 'petty' and nothing more than 'sour grapes' from UKIP following the party's failure to win any seats in this month's local elections.

Councillor Garrett remains the sole UKIP representative. Labour defied the national results by winning all 24 contested seats which included ousting Anne Hughes who had been the last Conservative standing representing Charlemont with Grove Vale.

Councillor Cooper, said: "UKIP has gone on record during the election campaign to say they are anti-mayor. I can tell you the mayor is received very well around the borough.

"This is nothing more than sour grapes. If it was a major issue, why did we manage to win 24 of 24 seats in the election?

"This is sour grapes because UKIP got trounced in the election. It is publicity of the worst kind."

The celebratory meal is paid for out of the mayor's own allowances, which they receive every year.

Councillor Cooper recently carried out a review of members' special allowances, scrapping several of the payments handed out to those who take on additional roles within the authority.

Members had already voted not to increase their 'basic' allowance for the year, which is set at £9,500. In total the measures have saved the cash-strapped council £100,000.