Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen has rejected a proposed 26.5% pay rise worth £17,200, saying politicians should focus on helping struggling households rather than discussing their own salaries.
The Conservative mayor told councillors at a Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) Cabinet meeting on Friday, 13 November 2026, that he would not accept the increase recommended by an independent remuneration panel.
By using his mayoral veto, Mayor Houchen ensured his salary would remain at £65,000, unchanged since 2021/22.
The decision leaves him as the lowest-paid regional mayor in the country, according to the report.
It is not the first time he has turned down a salary increase. In 2023, he also rejected a proposed £15,000 pay rise.
The latest recommendation was made by the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP), a statutory body responsible for advising on allowances and payments for elected representatives.
Under the rules, TVCA cannot pay more than the panel recommends but can approve a lower amount.
Councillors question timing of proposed increase
During the meeting, Darlington Council leader Cllr Stephen Harker (Labour) said he did not disagree with Mayor Houchen’s decision but questioned how the proposed increase had been presented.
He argued that there were “ways and means” to ensure allowances for councillors and combined authority members increased gradually at levels the public would consider reasonable.
Cllr Harker described the way the £17,200 proposal had reached Cabinet as “ridiculous” and suggested that annual increments would be a more appropriate approach.
“Some advice needs to go back to the panel that perhaps they should think more along those lines,” he said.
Stockton Council leader Cllr Lisa Evans (Labour) also raised concerns about the timing of the proposed rise.
She said: “I do recognise that we are out of kilter with other combined authorities. I just find it a little bit difficult to make these decisions where we’ve got inspectors and we are under a Best Value Notice, I just think it’s the wrong time as well.”
Mayor says focus should be on jobs and household finances
Following the Cabinet meeting, Mayor Houchen took to social media to explain his decision, pointing to the financial pressures facing residents.
He said: “At a time when household budgets are stretched, bills are high and people are doing their best to make ends meet, the last thing anyone needs is their politicians spending time talking about their own pay.
“My priority has always been to make sure we deliver more good-quality jobs, better wages and more opportunities across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool, and it’s right that we get on with the job of doing just that.
“People need to feel better off, and that’s what I was elected to deliver. That’s where local people rightly expect my time and energy to be spent, not discussing pay rises.”
The decision means Mayor Houchen will continue receiving his existing £65,000 annual salary despite the independent panel’s recommendation.
