One of Britain’s biggest trade unions - the GMB – has condemned the 30 per cent pay rise for councillors that Cambridgeshire County Council voted through this week.

“This is quite simply obscene and unacceptable,” said Richard O’Leary, GMB London senior organiser.

Sixty one councillors currently until now received a basic allowance of £7,933 per year; following the increase councillors will receive an allowance of £10,315 per year.

Mr O’Leary said: “At the same time Cambridgeshire County Council staff have in real terms received a real term 14.3 per cent pay cut since 2010 and have also suffered reductions in their terms and conditions.

“In the same week councillors voted against the recommendations in an independent report and accepted their 30 per cent increase, GMB were approached about further cuts to terms and conditions.”

“Local authority staff are amongst the hardest hit in the public sector and have been disproportionately affected by the Government’s austerity programme,” he said.

“At a time when the government are trying to impose another 1 per cent pay award across the board, they have to watch their own councillors vote themselves a 30 per cent pay increase.

The move to ditch an independent panel’s report and implement even bigger allowances was led by council leader Steve Count. He is the biggest beneficiary of the increases with his allowance as a councillor and pay as leader giving him an annual package worth over £40,000.