An increase of councillors’ allowances has been called into question by the leader of the opposition, who has said any increase should be independently implemented.

Richmond council agreed to a 0.5 per cent increase in members’ basic allowance – the first increase since the Conservatives regained control of the borough – amounting to £50 per year.

While he conceded the increase was ‘modest and acceptable’, Liberal Democrat leader Gareth Roberts said he felt councillors should not set the rate of their own allowance increases.

However Geoffrey Samuel, the deputy leader and the member for finance, drew attention to the Liberal Democrats’ own record – saying they decided to give themselves an ‘enormous’ increase when they were in office a decade ago.

Cllr Roberts said: “Yes, it’s the first increase since the Conservatives got in in 2010, and it’s a perfectly acceptable and reasonable amount. It’s in line with inflation.

“But we shouldn’t be deciding it ourselves – there’s a bit of a conflict of interest.

“We should have had an independent review by an outside body – an external body.

“And it’s especially the case at a time of great financial strain. We are having to merge our staffing with Wandsworth council to protect services, and now councillors are deciding their own increase in allowances.”

But Cllr Samuel argued the Conservatives took ‘huge’ pay cuts when they entered office in 2010 – with leader Lord Nicholas True and himself taking cuts of 10 per cent and 7.5 per cent, respectively.

Cllr Samuel said: “It’s slightly ridiculous for him to accuse us of anything.

“The very first thing we did when we took back control of the council was to give ourselves a pay cut – with most members taking a cut of 5 per cent.

“Whereas the first thing they did in 2006 was to give themselves an enormous increase.

“And on top of that, we have frozen our allowances for six years. Both Lord True and I take allowances far below that recommended by the Local Authority Association.

“This increase is merely in line with inflation.”

Email correspondence between Conservative councillor Clare Head and a constituent earlier this year obtained by the Richmond & Twickenham Times revealed tension between residents and councillors over allowances.

In an email sent on March 18, Cllr Head argued councillors earn an hourly rate lower than the minimum wage – and less than half of what she paid her cleaner.

Cllr Head said: “I work more than the 35 hours per week and if you divide £688 by 140 hours you get under £4.91 per hour! I pay my cleaner £10 per hour!

“Fortunately I have another source of income. I could not pay my bills on what I receive as a councillor.

"So why do I do this job? I have been a councillor for 14 years since 2002 and I love it!

"I can help people and I do and they are grateful.”