Which Hat will Your Councillor Wear Today?

Or, how firmly are they clinging to the generous, multi-pocketed teat of Shropshire Council?

In Shropshire, a notable number of councillors are proud owners of not one, but two hats. Because why settle for representing the county when you can also represent the village green, the high street, and occasionally what appears suspiciously close to your own driveway?

A polite question therefore presents itself: exactly how much is being collected under each hat, and at what point do the seams of these splendid headpieces begin to fray into something resembling a conflict of interest?

Using entirely official sources — together with those that appear to have wandered off when asked awkward questions — this article gathers together Shropshire’s dual‑hat enthusiasts and their allowances. The figures are drawn from the published scheme because the actual member‑by‑member payments for 2024/25 remain curiously elusive. What “is” available is often described, with admirable confidence, as “unspecified”.

Even attending what might generously be described as a handful of meetings and some light civic duties can produce annual payments comfortably into five figures. Critics, usually armed with calculators and an unfashionable attachment to arithmetic, have described this as generous for what remains technically a part‑time role. The system, clearly, just needs a little more sunlight. Preferably the disinfectant variety.

What is “two‑hatting”?

A “two‑hatter” is any councillor who simultaneously serves as a member of Shropshire Council and a town or parish council. Entirely lawful. One may be a county decision‑maker by morning and a local consultee by afternoon, occasionally without even changing chairs.

The only practical difficulty arises when decisions about planning, budgets or potholes appear. Which hat is being worn at that precise moment? The one bearing the county crest, or the one accompanied by a mayoral chain that doubles as an impressively expensive necklace?

The law shrugs and says everything is perfectly acceptable. Good governance, however, quietly suggests it might help if the public did not have to guess.

No impropriety is alleged. It merely requires either exceptional balance… or a remarkably understanding neck.

A small clarification before the numbers

Not everyone listed below wears two hats. A few hold only a Shropshire Council role. Their inclusion is deliberate. Dual roles raise questions about competing loyalties; senior single‑role positions raise a different one entirely: scale. When allowances climb into the tens of thousands, residents are entitled to understand who receives what, and for doing precisely which job.

Two hats may attract attention. But even a single hat can come with a remarkably well‑lined brim.

Estimated Combined Allowances

All roles referenced below are drawn from publicly available council membership records and published allowance schemes available at the time of writing. Totals are rounded estimates combining Shropshire Council allowances, Special Responsibility Allowances where applicable, and typical town or parish payments.

Heather Kidd — Leader of Shropshire Council — ~£44,000

Alex Wager — Deputy Leader; Portfolio Holder for Communities; Mayor of Shrewsbury — ~£37,000

James Owen — Cabinet Member for Housing & Leisure; Town Councillor — ~£30,000

David Walker — Cabinet Member for Planning; Town Councillor — ~£30,000

Julian Dean — Chair, Northern Area Planning Committee; Town Councillor — ~£26,000

Duncan Borrowman — Chairman of Shropshire Council; Town Councillor — ~£26,000

Duncan Kerr — Chair, Audit Committee; Group Leader; Town Councillor — ~£23,000

Dawn Husemann — Leader, Reform UK Group; Scrutiny Vice‑Chair — ~£20,000

Rosie Radford — Mayor of Oswestry; Town Councillor — ~£18,000–£19,500

George Hollyhead — Shropshire Councillor; Parish/Town Councillor — ~£15,500

Sam Walmsley — Shropshire Councillor; Parish/Town Councillor — ~£15,500

Neil Bentley — Shropshire Councillor; Parish/Town Councillor — ~£15,500

Jeremy Blandford — Shropshire Councillor; Parish/Town Councillor — ~£15,500

Gary Groves — Shropshire Councillor; Parish/Town Councillor — ~£15,500

Joshua Dickin — Shropshire Councillor; Parish/Town Councillor — ~£15,500

Mark Morris — Shropshire Councillor; Parish/Town Councillor — ~£15,500

Dan Thomas — Shropshire Councillor; Parish/Town Councillor — ~£15,500

Greg Ebbs — Shropshire Councillor; Parish/Town Councillor — ~£15,500

Rachel Connolly — Shropshire Councillor; Parish/Town Councillor — ~£15,500

Benedict Jephcott — Shropshire Councillor; Parish/Town Councillor — ~£15,500

Wendy Owen — Shropshire Councillor; Town Councillor — ~£15,500

Mark Owen — Shropshire Councillor; Town Councillor — ~£15,500

Carl Rowley — Shropshire Council; Parish Council — ~£15,500

Transparency

If everything is above board, then film it. Every parish meeting. Every town council debate. Every Shropshire Council, town and parish committee where decisions affecting thousands are delivered in calm voices and approved with professional nods.

Stream them live. Archive them permanently. Make them searchable. Transparency should not require a Freedom of Information request, persistence bordering on obsession, and a free weekday afternoon.

A camera does not create misconduct. It merely records reality. And if the idea of permanent public visibility makes anyone uncomfortable, residents are entitled to ask a very simple question:

What, exactly, are they worried we might see?

Conclusion

Two‑hatting is not unlawful. It is simply opaque.

Residents are perfectly capable of deciding whether these arrangements are reasonable. What they cannot do easily is reach that judgement when the full picture of roles and payments is scattered, partial, or politely absent.

Democracy does not fail because councillors wear two hats. It falters when the public is left guessing how many pockets those hats contain.

So the question remains a simple one.

Which hat is being worn today?
And how many pockets does it have?

And, importantly… whose hand is in the pocket?

The title of councillor carries kudos. It also carries responsibility, though that part is too often treated as optional.

Political labels matter during campaigns. Responsibility is what matters once the votes are counted.