Update: Corrected one of the votes against from Lib Dem to Conservative, and added details of absent councillors. Thanks to Richard Taylor for video capture of the vote results. Richard has also written an article about the vote.
Councillors voted by 33 votes to 29 to approve the allowances report, with one abstention. Six councillors were absent from the vote. The party breakdown was as follows:
Voting in favour were most of the Conservatives, plus Lib Dem Geoff Heathcock and Independent Nichola Harrison.
Voting against were most of the opposition councillors, plus five Conservatives: Sir Peter Brown, Ken Churchill (who is currently suspended from the Conservative group), Laine Kadic, Tony Orgee and Steve Tierney.
Conservative John Powley, the chair of the meeting, abstained.
Four Conservatives (Geoffrey Harper, Gail Kenney, Simon King, Jill Tuck) and two Lib Dems (Andy Pellew and Sarah Whitebread) were absent from the vote.
It’s about 18 months until councillors are next up for election, in May 2013. We’ll see what the electorate make of this vote then.
I’ve published the results as shown on the screens at the meeting at :
Pure greed,