Paul Bristow wants a change in the law on salaries for council staff (Image: UK Parliament/Maria Unger)
A Tory MP is pushing for a crackdown on fat cat salaries for town hall officials.
Paul Bristow says the number of council staff paid huge sums is "ballooning" and is demanding more accountability.
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He is calling for a change in the law to ensure councillors have to vote and approve salaries of more than ￡100,000 a year for executives.
Mr Bristow said: "These salaries are ballooning. More and more people are being drawn into it and I just don't think there's an understanding that this is where taxpayers' money is going to.
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"I think it's incredibly important that councillors should have the right to vote on it and then we've got a degree of accountability.
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"As we're scrabbling around trying to find pots of money to pay for lollipop ladies we've got salaries like this and I think that's wrong.
"Many of them are earning more than the Prime Minister and Cabinet members at the very top.
"This is where hard-pressed taxpayers' money is going on. We're asking people to pay increasing rates of council tax, so many councils now are putting up the maximum they can.
"What we need to see are far more people who are the front house face of the council, like lollipop ladies, binmen, people like that."
The Peterborough MP's private members' bill faces its next hurdle in the House of Commons today.
At least 2,759 officials were paid more than ￡100,000 a year in 2022, according to the TaxPayers' Alliance.
Elliot Keck, head of campaigns at the campaign group, said: "Taxpayers will be applauding this welcome proposal to ensure democratic accountability for six-figure pay packets.
"With the number of council fat cats growing, it's only right that councillors have a say over further additions to the town hall rich list."
The Local Government (Pay Accountability) Bill is a hand-out bill, meaning it has been offered by the Government to take forward as a private members' bill.
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As a hand-out bill comes with government support it stands a good chance of becoming law.
A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said: “The Government expects local government to show restraint with regards to senior salaries.
"We support the view that the highest salaries in councils should be subject to transparency and accountability to ensure effective use of taxpayer money.”
Comment by Paul Bristow
How many people do you think working in town halls earn over ￡100,000 a year?
The TaxPayers' Alliance analysis of councils last year shows that 2,759 council officials on ￡100,000 or more and 721 on ￡150,000 or more.
In parts of the country – including in Peterborough – these town hall bosses are likely to be some of the most highly paid people living there.
These salaries are often accompanied by generous pensions and flexible working arrangements, such as working from home.
This is taxpayers’ money. Transparency and accountability is needed. The number of people paid these salaries for town hall jobs has ballooned.
I am taking forward a private members' bill that would give us this transparency.
The Local Government (Pay Accountability) Bill will mean councillors will have to vote and approve on new positions where town hall officers will be paid more than ￡100,000 a year.
Some councils do this in one form or another, but it is not mandatory. My bill would make this mandatory and if done transparently the public will see what positions are approved or not.
With the public asked to pay ever-increasing levels of council tax year after year, it is only right that they can make sure they are getting value for money from local leadership.
It is time to think of hard-pressed council taxpayers. It is time to think of those on fixed incomes such as pensioners.
Transparency leads to better decision making. It means that the public can challenge and suggest alternatives.
Last year saw a significant reduction in the number of councils publishing their accounts. 47 local authorities failed to disclose their bosses’ salaries compared to 25 the previous year in 2022.
When Peterborough City Council are preferring to axe lollipop ladies than tackle excessive salaries, we have a problem.
This will be a pattern repeated across the country and it is time to do something about it.
Paul Bristow is the Conservative MP for Peterborough
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