Local councillors rejected an extra £660,000 for free school meals just minutes before approving a pay boost to their own allowances.
Conservative councillors at Central Bedfordshire Council unanimously voted against debating a motion for an inflationary 10 per cent uplift to the £6.6million free school meals budget.
The motion was brought by independent opposition councillor Gareth Mackey on September 22 but the Tories shot down the chance to even debate it.