TAXPAYERS footing the bill for councillors’ internet connections which tops more than £20,000 has been described as “wrong” by a pressure group.

New figures reveal that £20,659.79 has been spent on paying for Taunton Deane Borough Council’s elected members’ broadband since 2015.

The system allows for each councillor to claim up to £20 a month for WiFi, a scheme that currently 34 of the 55 members are enjoying.

The council spends, on average, around £6,000 a year on broadband for councillors in their own homes. The prices per month range from £9.99 - £20. In 2015, £5,186.78 was spent on 32 councillors.

In 2016, £6,763.56 was spent on the current 34 councillors, and £6,967.56 in 2017. So far, in 2018, £1,741.89 has been paid.

And County Gazette readers have also responded to our poll which asked: Should taxpayers be footing the bill for councillors' broadband?


James Price, campaign manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “While many now feel that WiFi is one of life’s essentials, especially if they have seen teenagers glued to their phones, it’s not fair for taxpayers to foot the bill for councillors’ internet connections.

“Councillors also need to drink water to survive but it doesn’t stand to reason that we should fork out to pay their water bills. This is all money that should be kept in people’s own pockets, even if only to help them pay the increasingly unaffordable council tax bills.”

Of the 34 councillors, 21 are elected Conservatives, nine Liberal Democrats, two independents, one Labour and one UKIP.

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The council says the councillors are ‘reliant’ on WiFi to conduct council business but they are free to use it for personal use.

A TDBC spokesperson said: “The council decided to support the introduction of a Broadband Allowance with the advent of electronic communication about 15 years ago. 

“The allowance has resulted in councillors gaining access to the council’s email system – which has proven to be extremely beneficial with instant written contact.

“The continued operation of the council’s email system with councillors is still totally reliant on them having broadband at home - which is available for private as well as council business. The vast majority of councillors opt to use their own laptops or PCs to receive and send messages rather than have a second laptop purely for council business. In recognition of this, the council has continued to make the allowance available and not every councillor claims it.”