by political editor Paul Francis

A political row has broken out over a claim from a senior Labour county councillor that he has been pushed off Kent's fire authority because he opposed an increase in councillors’ allowances.

Cllr Les Christie (Lab) claimed he had lost a seat on the 25-strong Kent and Medway Fire Authority because he spoke out against the recent allowances' hike.

The claim has been rejected by the ruling Conservatives, who said their majority at County Hall meant they were entitled to take 18 of the 21 seats available to county councillors.

The remaining two will be Liberal Democrats while the other four seats are allocated to Medway councillors.

Cllr Christie, a former fire authority chairman and a member of the government's National Fire Forum, said he had been given no explanation and accused the Conservatives of a "blatant misue of their majority".

He suspected he was paying the price for speaking out over the issue of raising councillors’ allowances.

The councillor for Northfleet and Gravesend said: "I make no apology for opposing the unjustified eight per cent increase at council taxpayers’ expense. If this is the price we have to pay, so be it," he said.

County councillors recently accepted the recommendations of an independent panel that they should have for an eight per cent increase in allowances fixed for four years.

But Cllr Paulina Stockell, the Conservative whip and the chairman of the commitee that allocates seats to each party, said: "The issue of allowances has nothing to do with it, frankly. There is nothing sinister about it. The allocation is done on a proportional basis.

"Les Christie has had a long time on the fire authority. A number of our own party have stepped back even though they wanted to stay on the authority so other people can come on. That is the same for every group."

Opposition Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Trudy Dean said she was disappointed that Cllr Christie had lost his place. "Not to use his expertise and access to government ministers would be a backward step."