WORCESTERSHIRE people will be able to see just what their county councillors collect in expenses each month after members agreed to publish all future claims online.

Councillors’ expenses forms are already publicly available to anyone making a formal freedom of information request, and yesterday we used that very technique to reveal that Tory cabinet member Stephen Clee has had to pay back nearly £100 after making duplicate claims on eight separate occasions.

The new online publication scheme was proposed by a group of Tory councillors headed by deputy leader Adrian Hardman and backed by all sides of the chamber.

Coun Hardman told the full council: “I have given considerable thought about how we’re going to reassure the electorate that we are honourable men and women.

“The public expects quite rightly it has a right to know what councillors are receiving, in detail. The easiest way is if we publish the expenses forms over the internet.”

The move follows a similar decision by Parliament to publish MPs’ expenses – albeit after a High Court battle, and in a heavily edited format.

In Worcestershire, councillors’ forms will only receive minor ‘redactions’ – the blacking-out of certain words – to protect personal details such as signatures and car number plates.

Tory council leader George Lord gave his backing to the plan, warning decisions over redactions must be taken “particularly carefully” to avoid criticism.

Opposition councillors also supported the scheme, with Liberal Democrat Clive Smith saying: “It can only do good.”

Labour members backed the Tory motion but criticised their precise wording, which included the assertion that “Worcestershire County Council has a reputation for being an open and transparent council.”

Councillor Peter McDonald said: “I don’t know that’s actually true.”

But an amendment to have the line removed was voted down by the Conservatives, and eventually the motion was passed by all 50 councillors in the chamber – though one backbench Tory, Bob Bullock, marched out just before the vote was taken.

It remains unclear if the council also plans to publish expenses forms from previous years, as Parliament has done.

A council statement said: “In the first instance, we will concentrate on arrangements to upload claim forms from now on."