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Councils have almost doubled spending on “ridiculous” woke jobs in just three years, new figures have revealed.
More than £50million of taxpayers’ cash was spent by local authorities on equality, diversity and inclusion roles.
The number stood at just £12million in 2020/21 but leapt to £23million in 2022/23.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has already ordered local authorities to ditch diversity schemes in a bid to clamp down on wasteful spending.
Local councils have been asked to cut down on ‘woke’ job costs
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The desire to cut costs comes as a number of town halls declare bankruptcy, including Labour-run Birmingham and Tory-controlled Thurrock.
Nearly 200 councils across Britain have coughed up cash to fund so-called DEI roles since 2020.
Figures compiled by the TaxPayers’ Alliance showed Birmingham City Council hired an “Assistant Director Community Services and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion” on an average salary of £103,165 in 2022.
West Yorkshire’s Calderdale Council separately hired a “Staying Well Team Manager (Agency)”.
Around 40 “wellbeing” roles have been filled across 10 councils to the cost of almost £1,150,000.
The revelations led to further calls for twon halls to scrap the roles, with former Business Secretary Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg arguing: “Councils do not deserve extra funding from central government.
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Sir Jacob Rees Mogg critcised the situation at town halls across the UK
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“Too many are wasteful and badly run and will only be brought to order by tightening finances.”
Tory MP Nick Fletcher also told the Daily Mail: “Enough of this ridiculous woke spending that actually creates division.
“We absolutely must find a way to get rid of this wasteful and divisive resource allocation from right across our public sector.”
The cost surge comes as millions of households brace for council tax bills to rise next month.
A number of councils have imposed a 4.99 per cent hike as it is the maximum increase allowed without the need to consult residents through a referendum.
Birmingham City Council is raising its levy by a staggering 21 per cent over the next two-years in order to solve its financial situation.
A total of 10 local authorities declared effective bankruptcy since 2020, the Institute for Government has said.
Birmingham City Council announced a swathe of austerity measures after declaring bankruptcy
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The TPA’s investigation, which was centred around Freedom of Information Requests to all 383 local authorities, also showed DEI roles leapt from 474 in 2020/21 to 717 in 2022/23.
Costs also soared from £12,043,455.15 to £22,821,573.40.
It even showed DEI roles employed in the past three years hit 1,818 at a cost of £51,775,800.
Town halls with Labour majorities made up six of the nine biggest spenders, with Greenwich and Calderdale spending a minimum of £2,562,500 and £2,561,538.50 respectively.
The TPA’s Joanna Marchong said: “With the cost of council tax soaring and the mounting debt councils are sitting on, taxpayers will be astonished by the money wasted on council non-jobs.”
The Local Government Association, which represents 315 of the 317 councils in England, added: “Councils have a legal duty to eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation.
“While councils continue to innovate and transform their services to meet the needs of their communities, it is unsustainable to expect them to keep doing more for less in the face of unprecedented cost and demand pressures.”
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