Telford & Wrekin Council leader hits back in row over job advert
The cost of supporting a council leader and cabinet is to be reduced by a quarter.
Telford & Wrekin Council is reducing its cabinet support team from three posts to two and has advertised the positions.
But Conservative group leader Andrew Eade hit out at the plans, saying it was a “disgrace” to be advertising the posts in the current financial climate.
The dispute, between Telford & Wrekin Council’s Labour administration and the Conservative opposition, centres around the creation of the two £25,000-a-year jobs.
Council leader Shaun Davies said the cost of the cabinet office had fallen to nearly half of that of when his political opponent was in charge of the council, branding him “the gift that keeps giving”.
Councillor Eade's comments came at a meeting of Telford & Wrekin Council's cabinet, where he was highly critical of the online advertisement for two roles at the council's facility at Addenbrooke House.
The job titles, listed on wmjobs.co.uk, are for a cabinet member support assistant and executive assistant to the leader.
Councillor Eade pointed out at the meeting that the latter of these, for an assistant to Councillor Davies, is described in the job listing as a “brand new role”.
He said: “We have been hearing about the sacrifices council staff have to make while you are about to splash out £25,000 on an executive assistant to support the leader. What on earth is going on here?”
Councillor Eade added: “This is a real slap in the face for hard-pressed employees and council tax payers who will have to foot the bill.
"If Councillor Davies is finding it difficult to focus on his work or responsibilities without someone to hold his hand it is time that he stepped aside for someone that can.
"The job of a council leader is to do what it says on the tin and not be spoon-fed by civil servants.
"If he needs guidance or advice, I am more than happy to provide it for free so that £50,000 can be allocated where it is really needed.
"It is a disgrace and you should be ashamed."
Own goal
Councillor Davies hit back and said his administration had streamlined its cabinet office and the total expense would be less than that of the same office when Mr Eade was the leader of the council.
He said three people in the office were due to retire, and will be replaced by two people in the new roles with expanded portfolios of responsibility.
Mr Davies said to Mr Eade: "In the last year of when you were leader, seven or eight years ago, the cost of the cabinet office was £114,000.
"That was a cabinet team of five people, and as a result of these changes our team of two people will cost just £59,800.
"You have scored a massive own goal here, you are the gift that keeps on giving."
Mr Eade claimed that figures from 2011 were "irrelevant", and the two councillors continued to row until the leader banged his gavel and appealed for "a little bit of order and decorum".
Council managing director Richard Partington said: “We have reviewed the support that the council provides to members, particularly in this case, the leader and cabinet members.
"Following that review, we are making changes. The two jobs advertised that were referred to at cabinet are not additional posts.
"These would reduce the capacity in the leader/cabinet member support team from three to two posts. We have also reviewed the job descriptions.
"As a result of these changes staffing costs for supporting the leader and cabinet members will reduce by nearly 25 per cent a year.”
