TOP councillors last night agreed to take a pay cut, two months after voting themselves inflation busting pay increases.

The public outcry which accompanied Barnet Council's decision to increase the allowances of a few top members, while cutting the entitlement of many others, lead to tonight's reversal.

Council leader Lynne Hillan survived a vote of no confidence brought by her Lib Dem counterpart Councillor Jack Cohen, with all Tory members voting for her.

It followed last week's challenge to her Conservative leadership by new Hendon Councillor Mark Shooter, which was sparked by, among other things, the allowances rise.

New regulations voted through tonight by all the Conservative members mean chairmen of many committees will still receive hefty pay increases.

But no member is allowed to claim a special responsibility allowance and it is estimated to save £76,000 this financial year after being backdated to August 1.

Tonight the Times Series also presented its petition to Cllr Hillan with nearly 1,600 residents' signatures gathered as part of the Reject the Rise campaign.

Councillor Melvin Cohen, who introduced the motion, told the full council meeting the turn-around had come after the administration had “listened carefully” to residents' views.

He added: “The reason for reviewing the system has not changed. The old system was inequitable, allowing some members to accrue allowances for different roles.”

Five Tory councillors did back a rebel amendment by Mill Hill councillor Brian Schama, which proposed returning to the allowances agreed in March.

In a passionate maiden speech he said: “The new allowance scheme caused a public outcry and strained many long-held personal relationships in this chamber.

“The leader, her deputy, the cabinet and committee chairmen accepted their special responsibilities and knew full well what their allowances would be.

“We need to demonstrate to residents of our great borough we're as clear and transparent as our leader has stated we will be.”

He got backing from Councillor Kate Salinger, the only Tory to abstain from the last vote, her husband Brian and his Mill Hill ward colleagues Sury Khatri and John Hart.

Councillor Alison Moore, the Labour group leader, put forward an amendment to freeze any other allowance rises outside of the cabinet under the new scheme.

She told the chamber: “No council should be rewarding increases at a time like this. Local residents, who Brian Coleman says in his L'Oreal world are okay with this because we're worth it, are clearly not.

“This belated half climb-down does little to restore the reputation of this council. It shows you still do not get it.

“If you had a scrap of integrity you would have put your hands up, scrapped this scheme and gone back to the original.”

Lib Dem leader Councillor Jack Cohen told the council the actions had “labelled us all as having our noses in the trough”.