OXFORDSHIRE County Council leader Ian Hudspeth has backed two councillors who asked a voter to reveal his wages when he challenged them over a 19 per cent hike in their allowance.

Andrew Beal emailed about 20 councillors asking them if they had voted for the raft of increases for their allowances and if they would then accept the extra money.

But deputy council leader Rodney Rose and Kevin Bulmer responded saying they wanted to know his wages and pension arrangements.

Mr Beal accused the councillors of arrogance, saying their allowances were funded by taxpayers such as himself whereas he was employed by a private company.

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Yesterday Mr Hudspeth said: “I think it’s up to each county councillor to answer a question in any way they see fit.”

Mr Hudspeth said the increase was justified because he works from 6.30am until 10.30pm on council business.

He said: “Most evenings I’m at parish council meetings related to the council. Most weekends I’m doing work of some sort.”

He said it was not the council’s business to challenge the increase as it had been recommended by an independent panel.

Despite an online poll of Oxford Mail readers showing 90 per cent believed the councillors should apologise, Mr Rose yesterday remained unrepentant.

He said: “I think I’ve got as much right to privacy as (Mr Beal) has.”

Oxford Mail: Rodney Rose, deputy leader of Oxfordshire County Council.

Rodney Rose.

Blackbird Leys resident Terry Roper, 66, said he has written to Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles asking him to read the Oxford Mail article in which the emails were exposed.

He said: “It just shows the arrogance of the county council really.

“It’s disgusting that when people’s bills are going up they turn around and put their allowances up.”

At a council meeting last week, the allowances increase – including a 19 per cent rise in the basic to £10,000 – was voted through by 38 out of the 61 councillors present. Twenty voted against and three abstained.

That came less than 24 hours after the council announced it was having to make an extra £20m in cuts to services.

The Oxford Mail emailed all 63 councillors to see if they would refuse to accept the extra money but only 14 responded.

County council Labour group leader Liz Brighouse said the refusal by some councillors was a “political gimmick” and said the Labour group would continue to fight against the hike.

She said: “It will not make one iota of difference to the money that goes into services because it has been agreed by the council. It would only make a difference if they voted against it at the budget committee, that’s the only honest thing to do.”

Mrs Brighouse’s own allowance as leader of the opposition is set to drop from £12,565 to £8,000 a year – down 36 per cent.

The £8,376 annual allowances paid to elected members will rise to £10,000.

Has anyone seen Kevin?

Oxford Mail:

Kevin Bulmer

The Oxford Mail attempted to track down county councillor Kevin Bulmer to ask him to comment on his decision to ask voter Andy Beal for his private salary and pension details.

Mr Beal had emailed Mr Bulmer to ask him if he had voted for a 19 per cent increase in councillors’ allowances.

Despite repeated phone calls, emails, answerphone messages and tweets, he did not respond.

If you would like to ask him the question yourself, you can write to him at 35 Springhill Road, Goring on Thames, RG8 0BY, call 07526 743091 email kevin.bulmer@oxfordshire. gov.uk or try tweeting him @bulmer_kevin Let us know if you find him.

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