'Golden handshake' in face of council cuts

Leader of Tory controlled East Riding Council Stephen Parnaby called for cross-party support to steer the authority through the country's "biggest financial crisis since the First World War".

He announced cuts of 7.5m in this year's budget, but said they'd do their best to protect services and the local economy.

There will be another 10m "efficiency" savings in adult services, transport and the use of council buildings over the next three years. The salary budget will be reduced by 10 per cent.

At the same meeting just three Tories joined members of other parties in trying to add the words accepted "with regret" to a minute noting the 364,205 payment to the pension fund of outgoing director of corporate resources' Sue Lockwood.

Coun Geoff Pickering, regretted that "confidentiality, the code of conduct, the party whip and the call-in validation process have all been used by the executive and directorate to 'gag' elected members and prevent them from speaking out."

He regretted "witch-hunts and reprisals...still going on and are sure to follow." The minute was passed in its original form.

Afterwards Coun Pickering said: "The chief whip has made it clear that anyone who votes against the group view risks being thrown out and I've done this in the full knowledge of that.

"How can you stand up and say there's going to be a 10 per cent cut in the salary budget and say it is affordable to give one person 364,205? It is inconsistent."

Coun Parnaby was unavailable. Deputy council leader Jonathan Owen declined to comment.