LAST year the chairman of Durham County Council received an £8,580 clothing allowance and the vice-chairman £4,280.

Usually the vice-chairman becomes chairman the following year. So that means each councillor receives £12,860 over a two-year period.

I am not attacking any individual, just the system.

I attended the full council meeting when the Labour leader tried to deflect the attention away from this wasteful spending by drawing attention to Durham City’s mayoral spending.

This money was not spent on clothing, but on incidental expenses.

But the information that I obtained about Durham County Council clearly stated the budget was a clothing allowance.

The leader of the council has promised to hold an all-party review of these payments.

Excuse me, but common sense tells me that if £1,000 each was budgeted as a clothing allowance, most people would accept it.

My expenses to date at Durham County Council are nil and I have refused an invite to the Royal Garden Party.

I also don’t go to conferences to save council taxpayers’ money.

Lib Dem Councillor Ben Ord, Spennymoor/Middlestone, Durham County Council.