REJECTED: Alan Smith, Labour (left) and Will Wilkinson, Independent Councillors in Allerdale have rejected a proposal that would have seen their allowances increase by £100 a year, in light of the pressures being faced by residents due to the Covid-19 pandemic. At their full council meeting on Wednesday evening, Allerdale Council members unanimously agreed not to adopt the increase to their basic allowance, which had been recommended by an independent panel. Executive member for policy, governance and people resources, Conservative Marion Fitzgerald explained that the independent panel given the task of reviewing councillor allowances had stated that despite the pandemic, the accountabilities and responsibilities of elected members remained, and in some cases, the pandemic has brought about more issues and workload, including new ways of working .