Fat Cat(s) on Bexley Council

Independents to Save Queen Mary's Hospital has learnt that the Chief Executive of Bexley Council, for the year 2006/7, received a remuneration of £203,000, making him one of only 6 local authority employees in the country to earn over £200,000 and the fifth best remunerated. Another 7 people on Bexley Council earned over £100,000.

Despite the current government target for growth in pay of just 2%, the Chief Executive's remuneration increased by nearly 11% and the Director of Finance's by over 12%.

Commenting on these revelations, John Hemming-Clark said, "saving hospital services goes hand in glove with reducing the excessive burden of taxation. Despite Bexley Council's bragging about its lower than inflation Council Tax settlement for 2007/8 the fact of the matter is that Council Tax has more than doubled over the past 10 years. Bexley Council is making cuts across the board including to grants, funds for meals on wheels, day care and home care which are badly hitting the poor, elderly and vulnerable. At the same time they are paying their Chief Executive a sum which is more than the Prime Minster receives. The increasing burden of taxation is not being used where it is desperately needed, instead it is going to support the excessive pay rises of our senior civic office bureaucrats."