SENIOR politicians at Southend Council rejected a rise in allowances, saying it would be wrong to accept it while budgets are being slashed.

An independent panel recommended the basic allowance for all 51 councillors stay the same, but suggested the five cabinet members get a 5 per cent increase.

That would have taken their allowance from 10,841 to £11,275.

But this was rejected by the senior politicians, and an amendment by council leader Ron Woodley to freeze the cabinet’s allowance was approved.

He said: “Every cabinet member has refused the increase. It’s not a wage. Allowances enable councillors to do a job.”

Labour’s Julian Ware-Lane, said: “We have got to lead by example. If residents take a hit, we have to take a hit too.”

The panel recommended the cabinet should get a rise in allowances, as their workload had increased since the panel last investigated allowances four years ago.

In a lively debate, that at one time featured seven amendments to the panel’s report, councillors voted against Independent Brian Ayling’s proposal for a 1 per cent increase of all councillors’ allowances.

But they approved Tory leader John Lamb’s suggestion that allowances should pay for printing cartridges and ink.

In response, Independent Mr Woodley said: “There are printers in the Civic Centre.

“If you want to print at home then you have to buy it.”

Mr Lamb said: “There are peripheral items that councillors should pay for, but we should have printing provided by councils.”

The Tory leader’s proposal was voted through by 25 votes to 18.

The council also voted for an amendment by Mr Ware-Lane to decrease the allowance of councillors sitting on the appeals committee.

Tory James Courtenay voted against every amendment, arguing there was no point having an independent panel if councillors did not follow its recommendations.

He asked what would have happened if the council rejected the panel’s document.

Council chief executive Mr Tinlin replied: “I would run screaming out the chamber.”