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Tories plan to axe costly council chiefs
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent30.12.08
DOZENS of town hall chiefs on six-figure salaries could lose their jobs under Tory plans to shake up local government, it was reported today.
The head of a larger local authority could take responsibility for a smaller town hall, scrapping the need for two chief executives. The plan is being pushed by shadow communities secretary Eric Pickles and would be based on changes in his local area.
The Brentwood and Ongar MP has seen Brentwood council remove its chief executive in March and pays Essex county council £30,000 a year to share top official Joanna Killian. Areas which could see pooling of resources include childcare, benefits and council tax. Town hall pay has been cast into the spotlight as many chief executives now earn more than Cabinet ministers.
Joe Duckworth, chief executive of Newham, is said to have a renumeration package of £240,000, and 800 town hall officials were paid in excess of £100,000 a year, according to a TaxPayers' Alliance report. A Tory source added: "There is super-inflation of pay that bears no correlation to the level of services."
To encourage sharing of resources, town halls could keep a greater share of council tax.
The Local Government Association has defended the pay of chief executives, saying they are below those of individuals running businesses with a similar sized budget in the private sector.
Reader views (14)
The Government strongly encouraged two-tier authorities to merge in 2006 in order to make massive efficiency savings.
I worked in a large Conservative Shire county on a project looking at the case for this. We identified 100 million a year savings from this (10% of their budget). No brainer you would think.
But Cameron and the Conservatives said no to these savings.
Three key reasons were given by Conservative politicians to turn down these massive efficiency savings:
1. Cameron did not want Labour to have these efficiencies - he wanted to save them for 2010 when he can claim the credit.
2. Conservatives dominate two-tier areas. Getting rid of district councils would decimate the number of Conservative councillors and damage the Conservative party at grassroots level
3. Many councillors in Conservative County Councils are also District councillors. Turkeys do not vote for christmas (indeed, the leader of the council I was working in was threatened with a rather unpleasant smear campaign if he tried to merge the authorities).
The Conservatives simply have no credibility in criticising the Government for inefficiency in this area. Labour tried to force these savings through - there were 10% efficiencies straight away and further efficiencies from ending the bureaucracy of umpteen partnership arrangements. Cameron said no, keep your efficiency savings thankyou.
- Peter, London
The Poll Tax was the fairest tax of all time. Freeloaders on benefit would pay their way according to their means. Labour have screwed the taxpayer for ever now, big time. Our children's children will still be paying for the Crash of 2008 caused by Blair, Brown and the greedy Bankers policies. It is time for sense to reign. Local Government is not working and cannot work due to petty beaurocratic politics that seeks only to waste money for example single mothers with children whom are a big burden on society and contribute little to the greater wealth of the country and take take take. Unfortunately, greed pervades all sectors of the economy and the mentality now is to take take take until someone stops them taking through redundancy etc. Politicians are the worst example. Fat, egotistical and unproductive. Bags of wind every one of them. There is no hope left for our children or childrens children they are doomed to the workhouse for the tax man for generations. Luckily I am at the end of my life so it makes little difference. My pension is non existent and life standard minimal. Roll on the next life in which I believe will be better than this.
- Nigel, Epsom, England.
You can bet your bottom dollar that they will axe counillors from Labour areas but mysteriously leave the Tory ones intact
- Colin, South London England
And they'll all go swinging down the superannuated road with compensation packages and added years to their pensions.
Another of Dopey Dave's ideas.
Scrap local government and start afresh hiring only those to fill the new vacancies.
- Michael Murphy, brightlingsea england
Cut back the overbearing useless Red Tape created by these Quangos,councils,authorities,Elf N'safety stalins,and get this country moving again.
- Nigel, wimbledon
Aew these the same Tories who reorganised local government in the 70's total disaster, brought in the poll tax, which wasted billions, you'd trust them.
- David, London UK
it will never happen,..........Unless U.K goes broke!
In which case,............It just might happen after all!
- Geronimo, LONDON MIDDLESEX
Not before time. The old mantra that you have to pay the 'Going Rate' for Senior Managers to attract the best quite frankly, does not wash anymore. The disgraceful situation in Norwich with their suspended Housing Manager on One Hundred Thousand Pounds a year, only to have the replacement engaged at a salary of Two Hundred Thousand Pounds a Year. What justification - nice work if you can get it?
- Uncle Vanya, Chelmsford UK
I will believe this when I see the present conversative councils get rid of all there costly chiefs and senior staff who earn over £100,000 and save council taxpayers money.
- Maggie, London
This has been talked about for years and is well overdue. Don't forget crime, immigration, unemployment, welfare state, NHS, schools, military, economy, post offices, police, bin collections,crime, overflowing prisons, nanny state to mention just a few.
Blimey you have a lot to do, that's what comes of being such a poor Opposition for 11 years.
- Roger, Surrey
Another fantastic idea. Nu Labor has just created these highly paid jobs for their Nu Labor friends and family. And that family has grown just now when we should be saving us from reckless spending! There is no money left in the piggy bank to pay for these fake jobs!!
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London
My local councillors all voted to give themselves a £10,000 a year pay award this year, if you want to now what your council tax is spent on, you don't have to look too far.
- Bob, Cheam
Arnold Weinstock was reputed to run GEC with only 7 performance indicators. A big Local Authority is more complicated and GEC is no more.
- Alan Griffiths, Forest Gate, LONDON. UK
Thats the problem with having two tier Local Authorities. Nobody, including the councillors residents and officers, has a clue as to where the power actually lies and what needs to be done to change policy and direction. The Govt promised us a whole scale review of Local Govt and we are still waiting. The Govt needs to remove one unnecessary tier of Local Govt and bring back Regional Govt back on the agenda, before the next General Election. Its quite ridiculous for any Chief Exec to be paid more than a Cabinet Minister or PM.
- Dhanraj, Basildon Essex
