Salford Council Criticised Over Missing Expense Records
Salford Council is under fire after admitting that thousands of pounds spent on taxis, hotels, and other costs by senior officials—including the Mayor’s office—were not recorded as formal expenses.
Salford Council has admitted that payments amounting to thousands of pounds for things like taxis and hotels were not recorded as expenses by some of its senior elected officials, keeping these figures out of public view.
The council said that Salford Mayor Paul Dennett's office has been using purchase cards to spend public money on payments, racking up bills of more than £14,000 over the past two years.
Councillors in Salford can claim expenses for certain work-related expenses, which may include traveling to meetings by taxi "if necessary." When recorded as expenses, these headline figures are published annually on the council's website for all to see.
But Mr. Dennett's 'travel, living and other' expenses have been reported as £0 in the council's published accounts for most years since he became Mayor of Salford in 2016, except for 2017/2018, when £142.34p was recorded.
Campaigners have accused the council of using purchase cards to 'avoid public scrutiny' of its spending.
Salford Council said the matter has been referred to its Audit and Accounts Committee for discussion at a further meeting. Salford Council is led by the Labour Party, while the Conservatives are the largest opposition group at the Town Hall.
The council said on its website that using purchase cards can help 'reduce paperwork and administration' when making bulk purchases.
The council also clarified that purchase cards are used by the City Mayor's office by Mr. Dennett and the Deputy Mayors of Salford.
Deputy Mayor Jack Youd recorded £1,362 in 'travel, subsistence and other expenses' in 2024/25.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked Salford Council for annual figures on purchase card spending by the City Mayor's office since 2016, but the request was refused.
The council also stated that, due to security reasons, it would not share information on individual transactions made by elected officials using purchase cards.
Callum McGoldrick, Investigations Campaign Manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "If elected officials are using council purchase cards instead of submitting claims as formal expenses, the public should know exactly why this is happening.
"Publishing zero expenses for senior figures, while thousands of pounds are being spent on their behalf using payment cards, clearly shows that the system is being used to avoid public scrutiny.
"Saying there's 'less paperwork' involved isn't an explanation – it's an excuse. The convenience of politicians should never come before openness to the public."
A Salford Council spokesperson said: “The council fulfils its responsibilities under the Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003. At the end of each year, it publishes the amounts paid to members in the form of Basic Allowance, Special Responsibilities Allowance, Dependents' Carers' Allowance, Travelling and Subsistence Allowance, and Co-optee's Allowance. This information is published on the council's website.
“In addition, and in accordance with the council's constitution, purchasing cards can be used as a convenient way to order and pay for goods and services, with benefits including reduced procurement costs and faster delivery times.
“Detailed guidance is provided on the use of purchasing cards and how to spend them. Some purchasing cards are used for low-value card purchases within the Authority, which are tracked and recorded to ensure they comply with our financial policies and governance arrangements.
“We take the management of public finances very seriously, and expenditure made using purchasing cards is properly managed in accordance with financial regulations and controls.
“Expenditure incurred through the Purchasing Card does not appear in member allowance information because it is not an expense incurred by members for which they request reimbursement. The expenditure is incurred on the card.
“The Purchasing Card has been used, for example, to assist councillors from all political groups in travelling for a range of council functions, including meeting national and regional responsibilities, such as attending meetings with government departments and the GM Combined Authority, attending Local Government Association conferences where members have given speeches, participated on panels, and represented Salford at the national level.
“The Council is actively looking at a consistent way to publish all this expenditure information, beyond what is required by regulation.”
This situation has drawn criticism from campaigners and the Conservative opposition group at Salford Council.
Conservative Councillor Adam Keeley, chairman of the Audit and Accounts Committee at Salford Council, previously raised concerns about purchase cards at a council meeting in September.
He explained that 'where those payment cards are used, it is largely an expense.'
He added: "But they are not publicly listed as expenses on the website, like the expenses of me, you, and everyone else in this room."
Councillor Keeley later told LDRS: "The council's decision not to include payment cards in its online published expenses is not a transparent move.
"I have been assured they will move forward, but I am disappointed by this lack of transparency, as councillors are supposed to be informed of their allowances and expenses at the end of the municipal year so they can spot any errors."
“I am concerned about what these payment cards have been used for and have repeatedly asked to see every receipt for every transaction, and I am still awaiting a response.
“Taxpayers deserve better.”
All Greater Manchester councils use different methods for sharing councillors' reported expenses.
Some include expenses as part of their councillor's basic allowance, while others list individual councillors' reported expenses on their websites.
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