Before the local elections, Reform circulated a leaflet attacking the CEO’s salary and comparing it to the PM’s pay
Reform-led Derbyshire County Council has defended raising the salary of the council’s chief executive to over £200,000.
Despite having previously criticised the ‘highly expensive’ post before the local elections, the council’s Reform leader, Alan Graves, has said he will keep the chief executive role following the current council boss’ resignation.
Once appointed, the new chief executive will earn £181,018 per year as before, but will now also be able to earn a £20,000 annual performance related-bonus.
In September 2021, then Conservative-led Derbyshire County Council reinstated the CEO role, after scrapping it four years earlier.
At the time, councillor Graves said: “Makes you wonder where the Conservatives in Derbyshire are going to find the money for this new highly expensive person, especially after they removed the post four years ago.”
In their local election campaign, Reform ran on a platform to cut “wasteful spending”. They even put out leaflets using the example of the CEO’s salary as an example of how the council “wastes your money”, noting that it is higher than the Prime Minister’s salary.
Their leaflet also pledged: “No more £200,000 salaries for incompetent bosses.”
The changes were agreed at the appointments and conditions of service committee chaired by the Reform leader of the council this week.
Responding to the decision, Councillor Alex Dale, leader of the county’s Conservative opposition group, said it is “right we attract and retain the brightest and best” and ensure “the role is properly remunerated”.
Dale added: “What is staggering, however, is the sheer hypocrisy of the Reform UK administration. Only a few months ago, they were putting leaflets through every door in Derbyshire attacking the salary of the council’s most senior officer, claiming it was a waste of money and even comparing it to the Prime Minister’s pay.
“Now, having taken power, they’ve agreed to pay even more: £181,000 plus a potential £20,000 annual bonus. It’s a classic case of saying one thing before an election to win votes and doing the complete opposite afterwards.”
Reform’s deputy county council leader, councillor Rob Reaney said the council is “legally obliged” to appoint a chief executive, despite the Conservatives having previously scrapped the role. He also defended the bonus as “an incentive”.
Reaney added: “It has been pointed out to me that this is less than they are being paid in Leicestershire as a base salary. We are advised that we are underpaying and that is quite a remarkable thing.”
Regarding the leaflets Reform put out before the local elections, Reaney said: “The leaflets were generated by HQ in the election and the Doge team was very much in vogue at that point and pointing these things out for all counties. They were centrally produced.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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