‘To determine councillors allowances, Wyre Forest District Council appointed an independent panel to make recommendations annually.

This panel acted in the same way for the five other district councils in Worcestershire.

This panel repeatedly told Wyre Forest councillors their allowances were the highest in the county and were, indeed, too high.

Each year Labour councillors proposed to reduce members’ allowances by at least as much as recommended by the panel. Each year, Labour was defeated by the Conservatives and their allies.

Eventually, the Conservatives and their allies became tired of being told they paid themselves too much. So they sacked the panel and appointed another.

Now the new panel has reported. It states that the basic allowance, paid to all councillors, is “too high” and recommends also that most Responsibility Allowances be reduced.

Labour councillors have been vindicated.

Alas, £146,000, the accumulated saving had Labour’s proposals been implemented, has been lost from the public purse.”

Jamie Shaw Leader, Labour Group, WFDC.