The authority is facing questions over its spending of public money – but has refused to release the full figures.
The council has come under fire over expenses (Picture: Jason Roberts / Manchester Evening News)
Salford council has admitted that payments on items such as taxis and hotels costing thousands have not been recorded as expenses by some of its senior elected officials – keeping the figures out of public view.
The office of Salford Mayor Paul Dennett has been using purchase cards to spend public money on the payments, the council said, with bills of more than £14,000 in the last two years.
This was broken down into spending of £5,890.61 for 2023-24 and £8,380.91 for 2024-25.
Councillors in Salford are able to claim expenses for some costs incurred related to their work, which could include travel to a meeting in a taxi ‘where necessary’. When recorded as an expense, these headline figures are published on the council’s website each year for all to see.
But Mr Dennett’s expenses for ‘travel, subsistence and other’ costs have been declared as £0 in the council’s published accounts for most years since he became Salford Mayor in 2016, the only exception being 2017/2018 when £142.34p was recorded.
Campaigners have accused the council of using purchase cards to ‘avoid public scrutiny’ over their spending.
Salford council said the matter has been referred to its audit and accounts committee for discussion at a future meeting. Salford council is led by the Labour Party, with the Conservatives the largest opposition group in the town hall.
Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett speaking during a previous council meeting (Image: Declan Carey)
The council said on its website that using purchase cards can help to ‘reduce paperwork and administration’ when making bulk purchases.
The council also clarified that purchase cards in the City Mayor’s office are used by Mr Dennett and Salford’s deputy mayors.
Deputy mayor Jack Youd did record ‘travel, subsistence and other expenses’ of £1,362 in 2024/25.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked Salford council to provide annual figures of purchase card spending by the City Mayor’s office since 2016, but the request was refused.
The council also said it will not share information about individual transactions made by elected officials using purchase cards, based on security grounds.
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, then residents deserve to know exactly why.
“Publishing zero expenses for senior figures, while thousands of pounds are spent on their behalf through payment cards, gives the clear impression that the system is being used to avoid public scrutiny.
“Saying it involves ‘less paperwork’ is not a justification – it is an excuse. Convenience for politicians should never come before openness to the public.”
A Salford council spokesperson said: “The council complies with its obligation under the Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003 to publish at the end of each year the sum paid to members in basic allowance, special responsibility allowance, dependents’ carers’ allowance, travelling and subsistence allowance, and co-optees’ allowance. This information is published on the council’s website.
“Separately to this, and in accordance with the council’s constitution, purchasing cards can be used as an efficient means of ordering and paying for goods and services, with the benefits including reducing procurement costs and faster delivery times.
“Detailed guidance is provided on the use of purchasing cards and on discretionary spend. A small number of purchasing cards are used across the authority for low-value card purchases, which are tracked and recorded to make sure they comply with our financial policies and governance arrangements.
“We take the stewardship of public finances very seriously, and spend using purchasing cards is reconciled in line with financial regulations and controls.
“Purchasing card spend does not appear under member allowances information because it is not a cost that members have incurred, which they then seek a reimbursement for. The spend is on the card.
“Purchasing cards have been used, for example, to assist councillors of all political groups, with travel on a range of council business including fulfilling national and regional responsibilities such as attending meeting with Government Departments and the GM Combined Authority, Local Government Association conferences where members have given speeches, taken part in panels and represented Salford at a national stage.
“To go beyond the requirement of the regulations, the council is examining a consistent way to proactively publish all this spend information.”
Salford council said it meets its legal obligation on publishing members’ expenses (Image: Declan Carey)
The situation has sparked criticism from campaigners and the Conservative opposition group at Salford council.
Conservative Councillor Adam Kealey, chair of the audit and accounts committee at Salford council, previously raised concerns around purchase cards at a council meeting in September.
He explained that ‘where those payment cards are used, that is by and large an expense.’
He added: “But those are not publicly listed as expenses on the website, like expenses for me, you, and everyone else in this room.”
Coun Kealey later told the LDRS: “For the council not to include payment cards in its expenses published online is not a transparent move.
“I have been assured they will be going forward, but I am disappointed with this dip in transparency given councillors are circled their allowances and expenses at the end of the municipal year for them to spot any errors.
“I am concerned about what these payment cards have been spent on and I have asked on several occasions to see every receipt for every transaction and I am still awaiting a response.
“Taxpayers deserve better.”
Councils across Greater Manchester use different methods to share the expenses claimed by councillors.
Some include expenses as part of payments to councillors in basic allowances, but others provide a breakdown of expenses claimed by individual councillors on their website.