North Wales council leaders paid £30k more than English local authority chief
A local councillor in North Wales has criticized the pay gap between Welsh council leaders and their counterparts in English metropolitan boroughs, noting that Welsh leaders earn significantly more. The councillor argues that the current pay structure is unsustainable and requires an independent overhaul.
Why it matters
The debate highlights regional disparities in public sector compensation and the ongoing discussion regarding taxpayer value and local government efficiency.
North Wales council leaders are paid almost £30,000 more than the leader of a large metropolitan borough council in England. A Conwy town councillor says the pay gap between the Conwy County council leader and the leader of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, where he used to be a councillor, is "unsustainable". Councillor Gary Willetts also criticised the "obscene amount" paid in pension contributions to North Wales councillors. Every council leader in North Wales receives £71,025, except on Anglesey , where the pay is set at £67,079. Councils in Wales are grouped by population. Five North Wales authorities are in category B (with populations of between 100-200,00). Anglesey with a population of less than 100k is in category C. Only three Welsh councils, including Cardiff, are in category A (with populations higher than 200k) and their leaders are paid £78,917.
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