Scottish Council Staff Earning Six-Figure Sums Hits 370 Amid Service Cuts
Soaring public sector wages have propelled the number of Scottish council employees earning six-figure salaries to nearly 370, despite significant cuts to frontline services and some of the highest council tax increases on record. This revelation comes from the latest Taxpayers' Alliance Town Hall Rich List 2026, which highlights a concerning trend in local government expenditure.
Top Earners and Exit Payments
North Lanarkshire Council's former IT boss, Katrina Hassell, has topped the list in Scotland with a total pay packet of £281,680 for the 2024/25 financial year. Her remuneration included £152,824 as compensation for loss of office after her role was removed from the council's management structure, in addition to her £120,780 salary. This occurred under a Labour-run authority that implemented a ten per cent council tax hike last year, followed by a further seven per cent rise agreed this year.
Critics have warned that a 'bloated public sector' is 'feathering its nest', with Scottish Conservative finance and local government spokesman Craig Hoy stating, 'When hard-pressed Scots are struggling with the SNP's punitive taxes and cuts to services, they will be appalled at the huge sums being paid out to bureaucrats.'
Rising Numbers and High Bonuses
Ms Hassell was one of 369 council employees across Scotland who earned at least £100,000 in 2024/25, marking an increase of 24 from the previous financial year. The data also reveals that Glasgow City Council's Scottish Event Campus (SEC) featured prominently, with former director of people and technology Gayle Shepherd and chief executive officer Peter Duthie taking home Scotland's second and third highest pay packets at £255,953 and £240,758 respectively.
Furthermore, four of the top ten bonuses in the UK were awarded to SEC staff: managing director Deborah McWilliams (£32,979), director of conference sales Kathleen Warden (£29,466), director of operations Colin Hartley (£27,993), and director of exhibition sales Daniel Thurlow (£27,256). According to the Taxpayers' Alliance, Glasgow City Council has 44 staff or employees from its arms-length organisations who earned over £100,000 in the same period.
Broader Implications and Responses
Edinburgh International Conference Centre chief executive Marshall Dallas also made the highest bonus list, receiving £22,343 on top of his £177,022 salary. John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, commented, '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.'
In response, a spokesman for North Lanarkshire Council defended their transparency, stating, 'The Taxpayers' Alliance continues to present itself as a champion of taxpayers, despite operating as a political pressure group that does not disclose its financial backers, earnings, or tax contributions. Unlike the Taxpayers' Alliance, our accounts are publicly available online and include full details of senior staff pay.'
This situation underscores ongoing debates about public sector efficiency and accountability, as communities face service reductions while executive pay remains high.
