Motion to get Northampton's NH1 number plate valued is voted down - though our poll shows you don't even want the limo

Deputy mayor Councillor Gareth Eales’ motion to get the plate - though to be worth around £300,000 - valued, was defeated at the full council meeting on Monday night amid a Conservative backlash.

The item had come under fire earlier this year when the Shopmobility service revealed it could not keep running due to a relatively small shortfall in funding.

Councillor Eales, speaking via a video blog, said he was disappointed by the vote.

He said: “The Conservative administration categorically ruled out any consideration of a sale, therefore there is no point in a review of valuation, apparently. It was a pretty lively debate.

“I do think a lot of what the motion was calling for was misunderstood. People were fast forwarding to debate whether it should be sold or not.”

However 560 of you have now voted in our online poll on whether we should keep the £38,000 mayoral limo - and 67 per cent of you think it should be sold.

The second part of Councillor Eales’ motion called for the council to consider making the mayor’s car electric, which was agreed upon by both sides of the chamber.