Inverclyde's cheapest and most expensive councillors have been revealed

The annual expenses bill for elected members has been published with Provost Martin Brennan top of the pile and Chris McEleny bottom of the table.

SNP group chief Mr McEleny claimed just £56 for the whole of the 2018/19 financial year, for telephone and ICT costs, although the sum was ‘met by the council’ meaning no money was actually paid to the Gourock representative.

Councillor Brennan had an expenses bill of £4,730 over the same period, but he says the vast majority was incurred as a result of his role as Inverclyde’s civic figurehead, including having to use an official car and being accompanied by a local authority officer when attending events where the provost’s chains are required.

The Greenock councillor had £1,340 against his name for car mileage — £1,170 of which was ‘met by the council’.

There were also costs associated with training, telephone and ICT and £3,092 on ‘other allowances and expenses’.

The provost says that, just like his predecessors, his bill is purely as a result of his role and is unavoidable if he is to carry out his duties representing Inverclyde at a wide range of engagements.

Provost Brennan said: “Robert Moran was the top spender and before him Michael McCormick.

“It’s all to do with lifts in the car and a council officer being there, which is part and parcel of the job.

“I’ve not claimed anything.

“Previously I claimed travel expenses for a meeting of Scottish Schools Education Research Centre in Dunfermline and I used to be a prison visitor and went to places like Low Moss and claimed for things like that.

“But anything in town in my own car and even short railway journeys to Glasgow, I don’t claim for at all.

“Expenses, I can’t do anything at all with them.

“I can’t trim them, even if I got into the provost’s car and drove it myself because I’m wearing the chains and in an official capacity as the provost.”

The annual expenses list also includes a full breakdown of councillors’ salaries. Gourock independent Lynne Quinn was the cheapest elected member overall during 2018/19 costing a total of £17,419.

The figure includes the basic salary for a councillor, £16,948, and expenses of £36 claimed for travel and £90 and £56 covered by the council for training and phone bills.

Local authority leader Stephen McCabe was the most expensive elected member with a salary of £28,249 and expenses totalling £3,088.

The total expenses bill has fallen by around £3,000 year-on-year, although the 2017/18 figures overlapped with the most recent council elections two years ago and included claims from new and outgoing councillors.

The overall wage budget has gone up by £8,600 to £407,500 as of March 31 this year.

Two extra councillors were elected in 2017.

TABLE OF EXEPENSES CLAIMS

Ronnie Ahlfeld - £1,008

Martin Brennan - £4,730

Graeme Brooks - £471

Jim Clocherty - £655

John Crowther - £210

Chris Curley - £210

Gerry Dorrian - £850

Colin Jackson - £286

Jim MacLeod - £482

Stephen McCabe - £3,088

Michael McCormick - £178

Chris McEleny - £56

Jim McEleny - £1,385

Drew McKenzie - £102

Tommy McVey - £219

Robert Moran - £342

Natasha Murphy - £344

Innes Nelson - £567

Lynne Quinn - £182

Ciano Rebecchi - £190

Elizabeth Robertson - £471

David Wilson - £3,770.