A LABOUR councillor suspended for criticising an inflation-busting allowance increase is fighting plans for another rise.

Paul Trippett was barred from Durham County Council's Labour group for six months in July for attacking a £1,000 or 13.8 per cent increase in the basic allowance all councillors receive.

Now he has attacked plans to further increase the allowance by £1,200.

The council said the move, recommended by its independent remuneration panel, would not increase costs because subsistence allowances will be abolished.

But Councillor Trippett, steward of Trimdon Labour Club and a friend of Prime Minister Tony Blair, said it would further alienate people fed-up with council tax hikes.

"The electorate will see this as a pay rise. It will open up the debate about councillors allowances at the wrong time," he said,

"The county council is asking people to accept a unitary authority. It only has two or three years to run before it goes so why do this now? People will see is as a hefty pay rise. It is a ludicrous situation."

Coun Trippett said he will fight the move when the full council discusses it on Monday.

He gave his earlier allowances increase to the charity Trimdon 2000 and plans to donate the further £1,200.

A council spokesman said: "There is a statutory requirement by the Government for all councils to have this arrangement in place by the end of the year.

"It will be cost neutral to the council taxpayer, it won't cost any more. Councillors won't be able to claim any subsistence for work in the North-East.

"There could be cost savings because it is simpler to administer and it is more transparent."