Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett has donated £2,375 to Salford4Good after an 18-month delay in fulfilling a pledge to give part of his salary to charity. The donation follows questions about his failure to give any money to good causes since making the promise in May 2025.
The pledge came when his annual allowance was raised from £75,000 to £98,000 a year. Mr Dennett made the promise at a full council meeting in May 2025, after facing criticism for being one of the most highly paid council leaders across Greater Manchester.
When asked about his beneficiaries in an interview last month, the City Mayor responded: "I've not donated to any specific charities yet. What I'm planning to do is give it to Salford Community and Voluntary Services, which is our infrastructural organisation (that supports charity groups around the city). The reason for the delay here is because I want to do it in a way where we can claim gift aid, so whatever I donate is matched by the exchequer. Then it becomes a matter for Salford CVS to decide how to spend that money."
Reasons for the delay
A number of different reasons have been given for the delay – the donations can't be made through payroll, and would need to be made directly by Mr Dennett himself; the City Mayor wants to figure out how to maximise gift aid; and it's been a very busy year for Mr Dennett, who at one stage was rumoured to be next in line for Greater Manchester Mayor (a title that ultimately went to Bev Craig). But it's understood the pledge had also simply been 'forgotten' until asked.
Since then, Mr Dennett's team has been working to fix the oversight. After being contacted about this piece, a donation of £2,375 was hurriedly made to Salford4Good. The remaining amount, which amounts to a similar figure, will be donated to cover the remaining 17-month period in which no donations were made.
Public and political reaction
Other members of the council, and members of the public, pointed out that the omission sends the wrong message to the public. "I do think that's very disappointing," said Eve Blackledge, a 58-year-old civil servant and Swinton resident, responding to the news. "It's things like this that really affect people's trust in politicians, because everyone makes these promises and doesn't follow through. Working people just get screwed over while politicians line their pockets."
Liberal Democrat councillor Jonathan Moore said: "At that meeting last year, the Lib Dems were very firmly of the opinion that Paul Dennett should not be receiving that increase. We felt similarly about the introduction of two deputies (paid £49k and £41k respectively). The increase all three of those people were given was absolutely ridiculous. In Dennett's case it was about a thirty percent increase. It was just an unacceptable amount, especially given the context of the cost-of-living crisis. He did make a pledge to donate some of it, and I do believe that was to soften the news. He's not honoured that promise, which is very disappointing. He needs to do it now, and he needs to state publicly where the money is going. This doesn't reflect well on him."
Reform councillor and leader of the opposition Ivan Voronov added he felt it was the failure to follow through on promises like these that have led to widespread mistrust of politicians among the public. Conservative councillor Bob Clarke was more forgiving of the city mayor's omission. "While I wouldn't want to comment on people's individual finances, I do feel that a promise is a promise," he said. "There's a lack of trust for politicians because so many break the pledges they make. I think this is an example of a promise that was seemingly made to placate people when the remuneration went up last year, but hasn't been followed through."
Councillor Bob Clarke, the leader of the Conservative group, was more forgiving of the council boss, stating Mr Dennett had 'had a hard year' and that 'mistakes happen'. Some members of the public are less lenient. "If he's said he's going to donate to charity and doesn't, that makes him a bit of an a***," said a Winton resident who went by John, 58. "A year and a half is a long time to forget about something like that."
Up the road, in Monton, a wind-swept lady who wished not to be named added: "Andy Burnham pledged to donate some of his wage, and I know that really helps raise the political profile of issues like homelessness. You know, the money isn't that much in the grand scheme of what charities need, but it shows a kind of commitment to a cause, doesn't it? You want people, especially politicians, to follow through with their promises. This will definitely make me pay closer attention to what [Mr Dennett] does from now on, to see if there's a pattern there of not following his word."
Donation made and future commitment
After being contacted about this story, Mr Dennett has now donated some of the money he pledged to give away. He said: "When the Independent Remuneration Panel recommended an increase in the Mayor's allowance last year, I made a clear commitment that I would not personally benefit from receiving a salary higher than that of a Member of Parliament and that I would donate the difference to charitable causes in Salford. That commitment stands, and whilst it has regrettably taken longer than I initially hoped, I am pleased to announce that I have now donated £2,375 (representing the 2026 difference between my salary and that of an MP), to Salford4Good, an initiative from Salford CVS, which supports local people and community organisations across our city."
"I will of course ensure that the equivalent amount for 2026/27 is paid through the Charities Trust so that this commitment continues to be honoured going forward. Supporting Salford's voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector has always been important to me, both personally and professionally. Over the years I have supported local charitable causes including Salford4Good, I recently donated £200 to Mustard Tree, have taken part in the Booth Centre Sleepout, and consistently championed the work of charities and community organisations across Salford. It is unfortunate that this donation was not set up as quickly as I anticipated. However, the commitment was never abandoned, the initial donation has now been made, and I remain committed to ensuring that any difference between my salary and that of an MP is directed towards supporting good causes in Salford rather than for my personal benefit."
Most Salford councillors receive a basic £14,000 allowance, with top-ups paid for additional responsibilities such as chairing meetings or community boards, according to the council website. Lead members receive around £35k. Apart from the Greater Manchester Mayor, who is paid £118,267, Salford has the highest allowance of any local authority leader in the district. Manchester City Council's leader is paid around £72,000 - around £30,000 less than Salford's. The average fee for a council leader in Greater Manchester sits around £45,000.
