Councillors could vote from the comfort of their armchair

Councillors will be excused from turning up at town hall meetings under Labour plans.

They will be allowed to debate and vote on vital decisions affecting local people while watching television at home or drinking in a pub.

The only limits would be that at least one councillor must be in the town hall chamber and others must be in 'audio contact', such as with a mobile phone or internet link.

Councillors not at meetings would still be able to claim their allowances, which average nearly  £10,000 a year but can reach £60,000.

The scheme to allow 'remote attendance and voting' is in a consultation document from the Communities Department run by Hazel Blears.

It will be included in a new law this autumn and aims 'to help overcome the barriers of time, circumstance and distance' that may stop councillors from attending meetings.

But the idea has provoked anger.

Tory local government spokesman Eric Pickles said: 'Most councillors are hard-working but this will demean the position and open the doors to abuse.

'This makes a mockery of Hazel Blears's promise to make councils more accountable.

'First we had the gimmick of free doughnuts for voters, now we have vital decision making being reduced to an X Factor telephone vote.'

Christine Melsom, of the council tax protest group Is It Fair?, said: 'This is an incredible idea.

'These people are elected to represent us and we should make sure they do that properly.'

Details of how the scheme operates will be left to individual councils.

Ministers want to increase election turnouts and are considering an idea from California to give out free doughnuts to electors as well as offering prizes worth up to £1,000 to those who go to polling stations.