COUNCILLORS clashed over pay rises at a meeting of the council on Thursday despite unanimously voting to reject a £134 allowance increase and changes to leaders’ pay.

However it was comments made by the Conservative group which prompted intense discussions at the council on Thursday.

A statement from the party said the independent remuneration panel (IRP) had breached its remit by making ‘political’ comments about the appointments of councillors to paid positions at council-owned companies.

But IRP member Tom Berman hit back, saying: “As a panel we are jealous of our independence.

“It is incredible that this year there has been a suggestion that this panel is politically motivated.

“We shall dignify this with silence and a thick skin.”

Deputy leader of the council Cllr Pauline Jorgensen had previously criticized the IRP’s recommendations, saying: “I know that councillors, including the Leader, attempted to raise their concerns with the IRP, but the Panel did not seem to take on board these views.”

But Labour councillor Andy Croy endorsed the IRP, as he added: “I am sad to say I have read some extraordinary comments in the press relating to the workings of the IRP and I have to say how strongly I disagree with the comments.

“I trust this outburst by the current deputy leader is the last gasp of the old regime and not a marker of the direction of travel of the new regime.

“Just remember this: this Tory council has already seen two resignations en masse by previous Independent Panels.

“We cannot lose a third panel.”

IRP member Tom Berman said at the start of his presentation of the report that this publication could be the panel’s “swansong”.

Regarding the proposed pay changes, Cllr Jorgensen re-iterated her belief that the plan to increase the council leader’s pay and decrease the leader of the opposition’s pay by £2,500 each was “undemocratic”.

Liberal Democrats councillor Prue Bray commented on the formula the IRP used to decide on the allowances council leaders should get, saying “It doesn’t seem right to me.”

She added: “It still wouldn’t be right if it was the Tories in opposition and the Lib Dems running the council – which if the Tories continue as they are could well happen before too long.

Labour councillor Andy Croy said: “Now is not the right time for members to be taking more money from the public purse” and fellow Labour councillor Carl Doran congratulated the Conservative group for rejecting the pay rise and embracing the “Labour way”.

Cllr Bray outlined the Lib Dem position, saying: “this year we can’t support all the recommendations.”

Conservative councillor and former leader of the council Keith Baker cemented his position on the proposed pay rise, saying :”Members may recall that I refused to take any increase in pay” from the previous report’s recommendations.

The councillor also added that he was pleased the new leadership of the council was rejecting the proposals too.