UK councils accused of ‘feathering their nests’ as hundreds of employees found to earn more than the Prime Minister Keir Starmer
More than 300 local council workers across England earned more than the Prime Minister last year, new analysis has revealed.
A total of 320 council workers across the UK received more than Sir Keir Starmer’s official salary of £172,153 in the 2024-25 financial year, according to the Taxpayers Alliance’s (TPA) annual City Hall Rich List report.
The Tufton Street-based pressure group highlighted a significant increase, saying the number of local authority employees earning more than Sir Keir had risen by a third on the previous year.
The TPA’s report also found a staggering 4,733 council workers in Britain and Northern Ireland are currently earning salaries of more than £100,000.
This figure represents an increase of 827 from the previous year’s analysis and the highest level since the organization began keeping records in 2007.
1,255 people in this group earned at least £150,000 last year; This is an increase of over 163 people compared to previous data.
According to the TPA, the highest-paid council employee in the country was working at Staffordshire council.
They received £457,500, although their names, job titles or a breakdown of how their total salary was paid were not given.
John O’Connell, chief executive of the Tax Payers’ Alliance, said: “Taxpayers are caught in a pincer movement with record-breaking tax burdens on one side and a bloated public sector feathering its nest on the other.
“Our latest City Hall Rich List reveals a rising class of council bosses enjoying six-figure packages even while excusing poverty, cutting frontline services and increasing council tax bills well beyond inflation.
“Residents can see exactly how many local bureaucrats have purchased comfort packages and decide for themselves whether they are getting value for money.”
