DERBY'S new UKIP group leader, Alan Graves, has made a controversial call to have cash allowances for city councillors with special responsibilities scrapped until times are "more prosperous".
But the majority Labour group voted the idea down, asking why, if the authority's two UKIP councillors believed so strongly in the point, they had not offered to forgo their basic allowance.
The debate was at last night's council annual general meeting, after which Labour councillor Martin Repton called Mr Graves' proposal "an empty gesture".
The special responsibility allowance (SRA) in question is for councillors who take up additional time-consuming roles such as holding a cabinet position or being leader of an opposition group.
New council leader Ranjit Banwait had sparked the debate by putting forward a motion that would mean Mr Graves would get no cash for his leadership role. Previously, the council's allowance scheme provided for any opposition group leaders to get £7,557 as recompense for being in that position.
But Mr Banwait called for this cash to be restricted only to leaders of groups with membership of six councillors or more. The council had already agreed to remove the SRA for deputy leaders of minority groups if the group size falls below ten.
Last night, Mr Graves made it clear that he saw the change as a personal attack but said: "This motion is actually on the right track. Right for the council. Right for the people of our city. Despite its intended pettiness."
He called for "all special responsibility allowances to be suspended during these terrible times of austerity," adding that the measure would save £135,000 a year.
Mr Repton said: "If he meant what he was saying he would forgo his [base] allowance of £9,400. Will you forgo that? The silence is deafening."
Mr Graves's proposal was voted for by his fellow UKIP councillor, the Liberal Democrats and independent councillor Lisa Higginbottom. The Conservatives abstained.
Mr Banwait's original plan was then voted through by the Labour group.
After the meeting, Mr Repton said Mr Graves had "nothing to lose" by putting his plan forward.
Mr Banwait said SRAs encouraged people from all walks of life to take up more important positions, affecting their spare time, work, and family lives.
He said Mr Graves's move would have "taken us back to a time 20 or 30 years ago when councillors were, to be honest, independently wealthy, white middle-class ... A diverse cabinet reflects the make-up of the city".