Tory councillors on Surrey County Council (SCC) have u-turned on their controversial decision to vote themselves huge increases in allowances.

In May, Conservative-led SCC considered recommendations for changes to the basic and special responsibility allowances paid to councillors, which were last increased in July 2010.

A report by the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) had made recommendations for changes to the different allowances paid to councillors - some of which were ignored by Conservative councillors who tabled amendments, without prior notice.

The IRP recommended that the special allowance paid to the leader of the council be increased from £27,000 to £35,548.  The Conservative councillors bumped this up to £43,000.

They also voted to increase the deputy leader's special allowance from £19,500 to £31,250 - even though the IRP had recommended a rise to £30,333.

But the council accepted the IRP's suggestion that the basic allowance of the 81 councillors be increased from the current £11,791 to £12,418.

But after a significant public and political backlash against the decision, Councillor David Hodge, Conservative leader of SCC, said he and his deputy leader, Councillor Peter Martin, have decided to accept only the level of allowances recommended by the IRP.

In a statement, Coun Hodge said: "When I became leader, I promised to listen, assess, reflect and decide on the balance of matters and take decisions always in the best interest of Surrey residents.

"I became a councillor not for personal gain but to try and make a difference to the communities I represent and as Leader that now means the whole of Surrey. That remains my firm and only commitment.

"I believe that the council's decision on the allowance to be paid to the Leader of this council, in the light of the large and onerous responsibilities that this post carries was reached by members on the basis of detailed and careful consideration of all the relevant factors.

"Having taken no part in those deliberations, I respect the maturity of their decision-making and the conclusions they reached.

"This council chamber is one of the key institutions of representative democracy that started in Surrey nearly 800 years ago.

"I respect that.  That is why I have waited until today to state my personal position.

"I understand and respect the decision made by the council on allowances and the reasons for it. I agree with that decision.

"Nevertheless, at this moment I have made a personal decision to accept only the level of allowance recommended by the IRP.  My Deputy has made a similar decision."

After the decision in May, all the members of the IRP resigned in protest; a petition against it was started on SCC's own website, by Richard Wilson, Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate for Guildford; and Conservative Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles was asked to investigate why the increases had been voted through.

What do you think?  Leave a comment below.