How much every councillor in Walsall was paid in allowances last year with the total bill topping £1m
Councillors in Walsall cost taxpayers more than £1.22million in allowances last year.
The highest paid earner was leader of Walsall Council, Councillor Mike Bird, who was paid £34,835.14 on top of his basic pay, bringing his total to £48,722.14.
The figure for Councillor Bird would have been higher but he did not become leader until June last year. The figures run between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026.
The next highest earner was the Mayor of Walsall, Councillor Louise Harrison, who was paid £27,630.55 on top of the basic rate, bringing her total to £41,517.55.
All councillors at Walsall received a basic rate of £13,887. This is paid regardless of how much time each councillor spends helping residents in their wards.
Some members receive a special responsibility allowance on top of their basic rate for extra work, such as being on the ruling cabinet or holding senior positions on committees.
With next month’s all-out elections predicting big changes in the leadership at Walsall Council, many will see a big reduction in the additional allowances they may have grown accustomed to.
Below is a list of all the allowances paid to each Walsall Councillor, highest to lowest, with their party, ward and any extra responsibility for the 2025-26 financial year.
Councillor Mike Bird, Conservative, Pheasey Park Farm ward, leader of the council
Total pay: £48,722.14
Councillor Louise Harrison, Conservative, Bloxwich West ward, Mayor of Walsall
Total pay: £41,517.55
Councillor Adrian Andrew, Conservative, Pheasey Park Farm ward, deputy leader of Walsall Council and portfolio holder for regeneration
Total pay: £37,866.96
Councillor Mark Statham, Conservative, Bloxwich East ward, deputy leader of Walsall Council and portfolio holder for education and skills
Total pay: £37,866.96
Councillor Pardeep Kaur, Conservative, Aldridge Central and South ward, portfolio holder for housing support and resident access
Total pay: £33,416.04
Councillor Gary Flint, Conservative, Bloxwich East, portfolio holder for culture, health and wellbeing
Total pay: £33,416.04
Councillor Keir Pedley, Conservative, Streetly ward, portfolio holder for adult social care
Total pay: £33,416.04
Councillor Adam Hicken, Conservative, Willenhall North ward, portfolio holder for children’s and safer communities
Total pay: £32,632.15
Councillor Suky Samra, Independent, Streetly ward, was Conservative portfolio holder for street scene until his resignation on April 2, 2026
Total pay: £29,672.97
Councillor Aftab Nawaz, Walsall Community Independents, St Matthew’s ward, group leader
Total pay: £26,865.96
Councillor Matt Ward, Labour, Darlaston South ward, group leader
Total pay: £26,865.96
Councillor Amo Hussain, Walsall Community Independents, Birchills Leamore ward, was Conservative portfolio holder for internal services prior to his resignation in January 2026
Total pay: £26,342.92
Councillor John Murray, Conservative, Brownhills ward, vice-chair of the planning committee and chair of the scrutiny committee
Total pay: £25,819.98
Councillor Khizar Hussain, Walsall Community Independents, Pleck ward, chair of the social care and health scrutiny committee
Total pay: £25,819.98
Councillor Matthew Follows, Conservative, Bloxwich West ward, chair of street scene and communities scrutiny committee
Total pay: £25,819.98
Councillor Natalie Latham, Labour, Willenhall South ward, chair of the children’s, families and education scrutiny committee
Total pay: £25,819.98
Councillor Ken Ferguson, Conservative, Brownhills ward, chair of the prosperous places and investment scrutiny committee
Total pay: £25,764.35
Councillor Sarah-Jane Cooper, Independent, Streetly ward, chair of taxi licensing committee and vice-chair of children’s, families and education scrutiny committee
Total pay: £24,574.88
Councillor Nick Gandham, Conservative, Paddock ward, chair of licensing and safety committee
Total pay: £23,739.00
Councillor Bobby Bains, Conservative, Aldridge Central and South ward, chair of taxi licensing committee
Total pay: £23,705.14
Councillor Christine Bott, Independent, Darlaston South ward, deputy mayor of Walsall
Total pay: £20,864.42
Councillor Poonam Gill, Conservative, Short Heath ward, chair of the standards committee
Total pay: £19,786.19
Councillor Waheed Rasab, Conservative, Paddock ward
Total pay: £19,244.28
Councillor Lorna Rattigan, Conservative, Rushall-Shelfield ward, chair of the corporate parenting board
Total pay: £18,864.60
Councillor Keith Sears, Conservative, Aldridge North and Walsall Wood ward
Total pay: £18,051.73
Anthony Harris, Conservative, Aldridge North and Walsall Wood ward, Mayor of Walsall for municipal year 2024/25
Total pay: £17,918.05
Councillor Izzy Hussain, Walsall Community Independents, Blakenall ward
Total pay: £17,851.39
Councillor Edward Lee, Conservative, Pelsall ward, cabinet member until leadership change in June 2025
Total pay: £17,630.06
Councillor Kerry Murphy, Conservative, Brownhills ward, cabinet member until leadership change in June 2025
Total pay: £17,630.06
Councillor Amandeep Garcha, Conservative, Short Heath ward, cabinet member until leadership change in June 2025
Total pay: £17,630.06
Councillor Gaz Ali, Walsall Community Independents, Birchills Leamore ward, chair of employment appeals committee and vice chair of licensing and safety committee
Total pay: £16,713.67
Councillor Stacie Elson, Independent, Willenhall North ward, portfolio holder for children’s services until her resignation in May 2025
Total pay: £16,091.89
Councillor Gurmeet Singh Sohal, Conservative, Paddock ward, cabinet support assistant
Total pay: £15,465.68
Councillor Rose Martin, Conservative, Pelsall ward
Total pay: £15,079.55
Councillor Josh Whitehouse, Conservative, Short Heath ward
Total pay: £15,079.55
Councillor Christopher Towe, Conservative, Pheasey Park Farm ward
Total pay: £14,756.74
Councillor Jade Chapman, Advance UK, Rushall-Shelfield ward
Total pay: £14,424.08
Paul Bott, Independent, Darlaston South
Total pay: £13,887.00
Councillor Rose Burley, Labour, Bentley and Darlaston North
Total pay: £13,887.00
Councillor Tim Wilson, Conservative, Aldridge Central and South
Total pay: £13,887.00
Councillor Naheed Gultasib, Walsall Community Independents, Pleck ward
Total pay: £13,887.00
Councillor Sabina Ditta, Walsall Community Independents, Palfrey ward
Total pay: £13,887.00
Councillor Vera Waters, Independent, Rushall-Shelfield ward
Total pay: £13,887.00
Councillor Hajran Bashir, Walsall Community Independents, Palfrey ward
Total pay: £13,887.00
Councillor Corin Statham, Conservative, Bloxwich East
Total pay: £13,887.00
Councillor Saiqa Nasreen, Walsall Community Independents, Bentley and Darlaston North ward
Total pay: £13,887.00
Councillor Farhana Hassan, Walsall Community Independents, St Matthew’s ward
Total pay: £13,887.00
Councillor Pete Smith, Walsall Community Independents, Blakenall ward
Total pay: £13,887.00
Councillor Shakila Hussain, Walsall Community Independents, Palfrey ward
Total pay: £13,887.00
Councillor Tina Jukes, Labour, Birchills-Leamore ward
Total pay: £13,887.00
Councillor Simran Cheema, Labour, Willenhall South ward
Total pay: £13,887.00
Councillor Ram K. Mehmi, Labour, Pleck ward
Total pay: £13,887.00
Councillor Rob Larden, Conservative, Willenhall North ward
Total pay: £13,887.00
Councillor Amanda Parkes, Conservative, Aldridge North and Walsall Wood ward
Total pay: £13,887.00
Councillor Emma Morgan, Labour, Blakenall ward
Total pay: £13,887.00
Councillor Eileen Russell, Labour, St Matthew’s ward
Total pay: £13,887.00
Councillor Klara Margetts, Labour, Willenhall South ward
Total pay: £13,887.00
Councillor Lucie Nahal, Labour, Bentley and Darlaston North ward
Total pay: £13,887.00
Councillor Michael Coulson, Labour, Bloxwich West ward
Total pay: £13,887.00
Garry Perry, leader of the council until May 2025 and councillor in the Pelsall ward until resignation in August
Total pay: £10,985.98
Councillor Graham Eardley, Independent, became a councillor in Pelsall by-election in September
Total pay: £7,676.43
Walsall Council reaction
A spokesperson for Walsall Council said: “Members of Walsall Council receive an annual basic allowance. This includes the costs of telephones, travel, and subsistence in the borough of Walsall.
“Recommendations about the level of members’ allowances are made to council by an Independent Remuneration Panel.
“There are some councillors with special responsibilities, for example, cabinet members or committee chairs, whereby members receive an additional allowance.
“The council publishes records of members’ allowances each year, plus a register of all expenses.”
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