THE leader of Worcester City Council will get an inflation-busting pay rise when the new financial year starts in April.

The amount of cash handed to Conservative councillor Simon Geraghty for his role as boss at the Guildhall is set to increase 14 per cent.

He will get £13,212 from April onwards, compared with the £11,894 salary he is earning at the moment.

Despite the rise, opponents at the Guildhall have not made political capital out of it and insist being leader is a full-time job.

The increase has been recommended by the Indepen-dent Remuneration Panel and is expected to be agreed at a full council meeting tonight.

Smaller rises have also been awarded to other councillors, with the basic package increasing from £3,634 to £3,775.

Coun Paul Denham, deputy leader of the Labour group, said: "I've taken the view that council allowances have to be fair and relate to the amount of work done, and have maintained what the leader gets is not really adequate because it is a full-time job.

"Worcester councillors are still as cheap as anywhere in the country, based on the amount of work done, and our taxpayers get real value for money.

"So I have criticised allowances in the past, and I think finally we've got a situation which is about right."

Coun Geraghty said: "My view is that the Independent Remuneration Panel is there to do a job, and there is no point tinkering with their recommendations.

"Percentages can be misleading, you have to look at what a person does and their role at the council.

"I think most people recognise that being leader is a full-time job. If you told people I was on an allowance half the average salary in Worcester, most people would recognise we are not in it for the money."

Deputy leader Coun Barry Mackenzie-Williams will receive £9,457 compared with the £9,141 he gets now if the rises are approved.

However, Coun Rob Rowden is facing a drop in his allowance for being chairman of planning, from £5,507 to £3,775.