Oxfordshire Tories cut opposition allowances & increase their own

Conservative-run Oxfordshire County Council has cut allowances for opposition councillors whilst leaving their own allowances intact and in some cases almost doubling them.

Conservative cabinet members will continue to receive their £12,565 special responsibility allowance on top of their £8,376 basic allowance (not bad for a part time job, eh?) whilst the more modest £2,456 special responsibility allowance paid to shadow cabinet members has been abolished. The special responsibility allowance for the Chairs of the Planning & Regulation, Audit & governance and Pension Fund committees will increase from £2,729 to £5,050 and the Deputy Chair of the Planning & Regulation committee will be paid a new special responsibility allowance of £2,729. They are all Conservative councillors.