More than 300 council staff earned more than Sir Keir Starmer last year, according to new analysis.
Research by the Taxpayers’ Alliance found 320 local authority employees took home more than the Prime Minister’s salary in the last financial year.
The number of six-figure council salaries has surged over the past two decades, with pay packages increasing eightfold.
Those earning more than £150,000 have risen twentyfold, while staff on over £200,000 have increased dramatically - up 70 times.
TRENDING
Stories
Videos
Your Say
A council employee in Staffordshire topped the list, earning £457,500 in 2024/2025.
By comparison, the Prime Minister was entitled to £172,153 over the same period.
Since the pandemic, the number of council workers earning at least £100,000 has almost doubled, rising from 2,441 to 4,733.
John O’Connell, chief executive of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, told The Times there was a “surging class of council bosses enjoying six-figure packages, even as they plead poverty, slash frontline services, and hike council tax bills far beyond inflation”.
The Prime Minister was entitled to £172,153 last financial year
|GETTY
He added that taxpayers were “caught in a pincer movement with a record-breaking tax burden on one side and a bloated public sector feathering its nest on the other”.
Mr O’Connell said: “Residents can see exactly how many local bureaucrats are receiving plush packages and judge for themselves whether they're getting value for money.”
Council tax bills have also risen sharply over the same period.
The average Band D bill in England has increased by 79 per cent over 20 years, climbing from £1,214 in 2005/2006 to £2,171 in 2024/2025.
KEIR STARMER - READ THE LATEST:
A council employee in Staffordshire topped the list, earning £457,500 in 2024/2025
|Generous pension arrangements also mean councils face significant redundancy payouts.
Cambridge City Council’s assistant chief executive received £220,000 in compensation after losing their role last year.
At least nine other departing officials also received six-figure payouts.
Labour’s planned overhaul of local government has also drawn criticism, with warnings it could drive costs higher rather than lower.
Cambridge City Council’s assistant chief executive received £220,000 in compensation after losing their role
|
Sir James Cleverly warned Labour's reforms will lead to a 'a bonanza of golden goodbyes' for council staff
|HOUSE OF COMMONS
Ministers argue the reforms will reduce the number of highly paid council roles.
The Government plans to scrap England’s two-tier system, under which 21 county councils sit above 164 district councils.
Lord Fuller has warned of “multibillion-pound implications” from Labour's planned reforms.
Shadow Local Government Secretary Sir James Cleverly said: “With soaring council tax and the threat of the four-day week in local government, people feel they are paying more and getting less.”
He added: “What's more, Labour's top-down restructuring of local government will lead to a bonanza of golden goodbyes and pension payments to laid-off council staff all funded by the taxpayer.”
A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesman said: “Councils are independent employers and are responsible for setting their own pay levels.
"We're clear that we expect all councils to secure value for taxpayers' money.”
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter