The Swindon Labour Group has obtained information that shows that Swindon Borough Council has spent £2.8m on external consultants in 2013. Swindon Borough Council had spent £1.8m on external consultants between 27th September 2011 and 26th September 2012, which means that Swindon Council spent an additional £1m per year on consultants.
The Swindon Labour Group has obtained information that shows that Swindon Borough Council has spent £2.8m on external consultants in 2013. Swindon Borough Council had spent £1.8m on external consultants between 27th September 2011 and 26th September 2012, which means that Swindon Council spent an additional £1m per year on consultants.
Labour Group Leader, Councillor Jim Grant, has called the money spent on consultants as a “slap in the face” to all Council staff who have lost their jobs as a result of Council spending cuts
The Labour Group Leader, Councillor Jim Grant, said:
“Bearing in mind the Conservative Cabinet is making people redundant this year due to spending cuts, I am shocked to find they have increased the amount they have spent on consultants per year by £1m to £2.8m.
Frankly I think it’s a slap in the face to many hardworking council staff who have either lost their jobs or who will be transferred to another employer, in seeing the Conservative-controlled Council ramp up the amount they spend on consultants.
By using this £2.8m to retain the staff we’ve got, around 100 Council Officers’ jobs could be retained by the Council. These members of staff could be used to fix Swindon’s potholes, tidy up Swindon’s streets and look after our elderly.
I believe Swindon should follow the lead of other Labour-controlled councils like in Slough who have managed to significantly reduce the number of compulsory staff redundancies and froze the Council-tax, through taking measures like significantly cutting back on consultants and senior management.”
Cllr Jim Grant, Swindon Labour Group Leader