More than three hundred local council employees across the United Kingdom received higher remuneration than the Prime Minister during the last financial year, according to a comprehensive new analysis. The annual Town Hall Rich List report from the Taxpayers' Alliance pressure group has uncovered that 320 council workers earned in excess of Sir Keir Starmer's official salary of £172,153 throughout the 2024-25 period.
Six-Figure Salaries Reach Record High
The investigation further reveals that the number of local authority staff commanding salaries above £100,000 has surged to unprecedented levels. Some 4,733 council employees across Britain and Northern Ireland are now being paid more than six figures annually. This represents an increase of 827 individuals compared to the previous year's data and marks the highest tally recorded since the Taxpayers' Alliance began compiling these statistics in 2007.
Substantial Growth in High Earners
The Tufton Street-based organisation claims that the count of council employees outearning the Prime Minister has grown by a full third since the preceding year. Within the broader group of high earners, 1,255 individuals received at least £150,000 in the last financial year, which is an increase of more than 163 people from earlier figures.
The highest paid council employee in the country was based at Staffordshire council, according to the TPA findings. This individual received a total remuneration package of £457,500, although neither their name, job title, nor a detailed breakdown of how this pay was awarded was disclosed in the report.
Taxpayers' Alliance Condemns 'Bloated' Public Sector
John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, issued a stern critique of the current situation. “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,” he stated. “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.”
O’Connell emphasised that transparency is crucial for public accountability. “Residents can see exactly how many local bureaucrats are receiving plush packages and judge for themselves whether they’re getting value for money,” he concluded, highlighting concerns over fiscal responsibility and service delivery amidst rising local taxation.
The report underscores ongoing debates about public sector pay structures, local government funding, and the balance between executive compensation and frontline service provision across UK councils.
