Your coverage of the debate on Councillors Allowances at the County Council rightly points out that last week County Councillors refused to implement a proposal that would have lead to a small overall decrease in the cost to Northamptonshire’s taxpayers of councillors’ allowances. In doing so Northamptonshire County Councillors passed up the opportunity to share with the council’s employees the pain of the current round of pay freezes and pay cuts.

True enough the freeze on county councillors’ basic allowances remains in place. However a proposal put forward at the meeting by the Liberal Democrats would have seen the 55 per cent of County Councillors who earn Special Responsibility Allowances on top of their basic allowance take a reduction of 10% in their special responsibility allowance. This proposal was voted down by the Conservatives, Labour and Independents.

At a time when over half of the council’s employees have been notified of a salary freeze or a reduction as a result of the Pay & Benefits Review, the National Pay Award and the freeze on public sector salaries in excess of £21,000 per year, these leading councillors should have set an example by taking the reduction proposed by the Liberal Democrats. Not to do so shows, that for some councillors there is one rule for them and another rule for the council’s employees.