OPPOSITION councillors who get a seat at the top table for decision-makers will earn less for the role from now on.
During the short-lived minority Independent Labour and Conservative administrations last year, opposition councillors were offered places on the cabinet committee to give the ability to scrutinize important decisions from within, but not to vote of them.
The incoming Labour administration pushed through several changes at yesterday evening's full council meeting including a reduction in the allowance non-executive cabinet members can claim from £13,060 to £6,620. All other special responsibility allowances were frozen.
Council leader Councillor David Perry said: "Labour’s first action in our new administration is to save residents money by reducing various councillor allowances and tick-box committee meetings which I believe speaks volumes about our priorities and style of administration."
Two other changes implemented were to render the appointment of up to four non-executive cabinet members at Mr Perry's discretion rather than mandatory, and to stop the practice of an opposition councillor automatically chairing the council's overview and scrutiny committee.
Opposition leader Councillor Susan Hall said: “It’s utter cowardice, plain and simple.
"We had a deal with Mr Perry that whoever won the election would keep non-executive members – indeed the week after the election Labour asked who we wanted them to appoint, but now they’re furiously backtracking.
"Labour’s dishonourable change of heart is proof they’re running scared – no doubt worried about their ability to handle challenging questions and additional scrutiny. Labour are deliberately and cynically making it harder for the democratically elected opposition to do our job."
Mr Petty said: "Councillor Hall is whipping up a storm in a teacup with this issue.
"The Labour administration has not deleted the post of non-executive members to cabinet.
"We have made a commitment that the voluntary sector should form part of the scrutiny of cabinet and I shall be personally leading on this review, and this also includes opposition councillors."
Several committees and sub-committees are being subsumed or will meet less often to cut costs.
