21 Edinburgh ‘council officials’ earned over £100K

THE number of top-paid executives at Edinburgh City Council has increased despite the economic crisis, according to a new “Town Hall Rich List” published today.

The right-of-centre Taxpayers Alliance said there were 21 officials in the Capital earning over £100,000 last year, two more than the year before. It listed chief executive Sue Bruce as the highest paid on £158,553.

The city council insists the number includes members of arms-length companies like Lothian Buses, which are not under its direct control.

And Ian Craig, managing director of Lothian Buses, was named among the top 20 employees with the highest total remuneration across the UK. The report said on top of his £159,675 salary he received £48,462 in other payments and £30,817 in employer pension contributions, taking his total to £238,954.

The list said there were at least 2525 council employees across the UK who received total remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2011/12, a fall of 11 per cent on the previous year, but the Alliance said the figure was almost certainly an

underestimate.

The list shows that the largest remuneration package in Scotland for 2011/12 went to South Lanarkshire Council executive director Linda Hardie, who received £543,538, including employee pension contributions of £427,209.

The council employee with the largest remuneration package in the UK was Katherine Kerswell, group managing director of Kent County Council, who received £589,165, including a considerable redundancy package.

Edinburgh City Council said the report included several

senior staff from Lothian Buses, whose salaries are not decided by the council, and the former trams company TIE, whose remuneration included severance payments.

A council spokeswoman said: “There are six members of staff directly employed by the council that earn over £100,000, including directors and the chief executive. Other salaries quoted belong to employees of arms length organisations not directly under council control.”