RULING councillors in Burnley and Padiham were accused of “signing their political suicide note” after voting for a 4.9 per cent council tax rise.

But Liberal Democrat leaders issued a robust defence of their budget plans for 2009-10, claiming the average rise was the equivalent of half a dozen cups of tea per week.

The increase comes amid a Whitehall grant increase for Burnley of only 0.5 per cent for the coming year.

Blackburn with Darwen received around six per cent and Lancashire County Council were handed a 5.7 per cent rise.

Conservative councillor Jonathan Gilbert said: “If you go for this budget then you are about to sign your political suicide note.”

But earlier council leader Coun Gordon Birtwistle told a full council meeting: “This council tax we are proposing represents less than 20 pence per household, per week.

“For 20p you can get half a dozen teabags or half a postage stamp.”

Coun Margaret Lishman, deputy council leader and finance cabinet member said the authority had been faced with “difficult decisions” in the current economic climate.

“This executive has produced a budget which is fair and responsible.

"It balances our duty to all residents in their needs for services and jobs at a difficult time,” she added.

"Opposition groups, including Labour, Tories and the British National Party, produced their own budget proposals, which were each soundly defeated by the other three respective parties.

Labour called for £171,000, currently held in reserve from the Capital Opportunities Fund, to be released for revenue budgets, bringing the council tax down to 2.1 per cent.

Tory leader Coun Peter Doyle suggested that by not filling six out of around 30 currently-vacant posts, the tax increase could be limited to 2.9 per cent.

And Coun Sharon Wilkinson, for the BNP, proposed using funding from the area based grant to support a nil council tax increase.

Coun Julie Cooper, Labour group leader, said: “The last time Labour set a budget in Burnley, council tax increased by 2.5 per cent.

“Now when times are hard the Lib Dems propose to virtually double this. This is outrageous.”