A SO-called clothing allowance mockingly dubbed the Geordie Armani by Prime Minister David Cameron has been scrapped, The Northern Echo has learned.

Labour-led Durham County Council faced repeated criticism over an annual allowance paid to its chairman and vice-chairman totalling £12,860, prompting Labour leader Simon Henig to order a wide-ranging cross-party review of the expenses system.

It has now emerged that the up-front payments have been scrapped, although the authority’s chairman and vice-chairman can still claim back costs incurred while carrying out their civic duties.

Liberal Democrat leader Amanda Hopgood said the council should have gone further, axing the set up entirely and making the chairman and vice-chairman cover such costs from their separate Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA).

“They have their allowance (SRA) for being chairman or vice-chairman and that should cover all their costs. I don’t see why they should need anything else,” she said.

However, Cllr Henig said: “They go to events all the time. It’s unreasonable to expect somebody to foot the bill when its seven days a week, sometimes more than one event per day.

“You’ll end up with the position where only affluent or well-off people can be chairman or mayor.”

Cllr Henig said he could not recall the Lib Dems raising the point during the review and asked for the new system, introduced earlier this year, to be given a year or two to see if it works.

The council always insisted the previous £12,860 was a civic allowance, although The Northern Echo was shown an internal document describing it as a clothing allowance.

The controversy flared up in March last year, when Cllr Linda Marshall was chairman. Her successor, Pauline Charlton, voluntarily surrendered the allowance pending the outcome of the review.

Cllr Charlton, who died last month aged 75, was the first person in modern times to combine the roles of council chairman and Mayor of Durham.

The role is currently filled by Cllr John Robinson.

Last year the council was also criticised for spending £600 having the mayor’s robes cleaned at London’s oldest tailors, Ede and Ravenscroft.

Officers defended the move, saying it was authorised in accordance with normal procedures.