UK councils accused of ‘feathering their nests’ as hundreds of employees found to earn more than the Prime Minister

More than 300 council employees received more than Sir Keir Starmer’s £172,153 official salary over the course of the 2024-25 financial year
More than 300 local council employees across the UK earned more than the Prime Minister over the last year, new analysis has revealed.

A total of 320 council workers across the UK received in excess of Sir Keir Starmer ’s £172,153 official salary during the 2024-25 financial year, according to the Taxpayers’ Alliance (TPA) annual Town Hall Rich List report.

The pressure group, based in Tufton Street, highlighted a significant increase, stating the number of local authority employees out-earning Sir Keir has grown by a third since the previous year.

The TPA’s report further disclosed that a staggering 4,733 council employees across Britain and Northern Ireland are now paid more than £100,000.

This figure marks an increase of 827 from the previous year’s analysis and represents the highest level since the organisation began its record-keeping in 2007.

Within this group, 1,255 individuals earned at least £150,000 in the past year, an increase of over 163 people compared to the previous data.

The highest paid council employee identified in the country was based at Staffordshire council, according to the TPA.

They received £457,500, though their name, job title, or a breakdown of how their total pay was awarded, were not provided.

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Taxpayers are 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.

“Our latest Town Hall Rich List exposes 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.

“Residents can see exactly how many local bureaucrats are receiving plush packages and judge for themselves whether they’re getting value for money.”
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