Row over £1k a day wage for county education chief

A row has broken out over a claim that Lancashire's interim education chief is to be paid £1,125 a day at a time the County Council is being forced to make £11m in cuts.
County HallCounty Hall
County Hall

The claims came from the opposing Labour group as the post of the county council’s new executive director of education and children’s services remains unfilled.

It claims Tory leaders have decided to pay £1,125 a day to an interim executive director for an undetermined period. It is understood the new interim boss starts next week.

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The disclosure came as the county council’s cabinet approved £11m of proposed cuts to go out to public consultation before a February meeting. Savings range from cutting property maintenance to ending grants to community groups and raising fees for NoW travel card holders.

Labour deputy group leader Coun John Fillis said the payment to the interim education chief could cost the people of Lancashire at least £300,000 a year.

He said: “This is all part of the Conservative shabby senior management restructuring, which they have tried to hide behind savage cuts to local services.”

The row comes just days after aspects of the county’s special educational needs and disability provision were labelled ‘alarmingly poor’ by inspectors.

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But council leader Geoff Driver said the report on the previous Labour administration had been damning and the council had needed to act.

He could not comment on the salary, but said the council had to ‘pay the going rate’ to the interim executive director and accused the Labour group of playing ‘political games’.