April 7

 Returning to our derided, under fire local government, the latest attack is a report on the pay of its ‘fat cats’.

A national newspaper claims that 25,000 are paid £100,000 or more while 608 earn over £150,000, more than the prime minister.

Shocking? 

As usual it is all too glib,  dishonest and inaccurate 

Of course there are well paid men and women running our local government, but are there too many and are they worth it?

In my experience, yes. 

I have been looking at the facts rather than the fantasy.

Thre are 398 main authorities in the UK, almost 12,000 including the smaller authorities, employing 2million.. Very big business.

Cardiff council where I worked for many years employs 11,000 and has an annual budget of £650,000.

All its chief officers and senior staff are professionally qualified.

SSE, a private energy company with same number of staff has a chief executive with an undisclosed but no doubt substantial salary, perhaps like some of he local government fat cats more than Mr Johnson.

I have been retired for many years but if I were still working, as a deputy chief officer I would have been among them, working up to seventy hours a week think I would be worth it.

And, remember, our pm, as a journalist, was reputedly paid over £2,000 per column, and he was sacked for false reporting,