Latest news with #ElliotKeck
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bankrupt councils dish out £600k in ‘golden hellos'
Two cash-strapped councils have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on 'golden hellos' for new staff despite declaring bankruptcy, The Telegraph can reveal. Birmingham City Council handed individual payments of £1,000 to workers for agreeing to sign on between 2022 and last year, while Croydon Council paid them as much as £5,000 in the same period. The sign-on bonuses were paid despite declining public services with Birmingham forced to dim street lights and cut bin collections as council tax soared 10pc last year alone. Croydon, which declared bankruptcy in 2023, issued another £35m warning last year. The cash incentives were given to dozens of new recruits to frontline local authority services, according to Freedom of Information requests made by The Telegraph. Croydon spent £439,000 on starting bonuses between 2022 and 2024. It gave a 'welcome payment' of £5,000 to 74 staff during that time, while 15 received payments of £4,000 and three were paid £3,000. In the same period, Croydon declared effective bankruptcy three times between 2020 and 2022, while Birmingham went bankrupt in 2023. The starting bonuses at Croydon were approved amid a financial crisis at the town hall, which in November 2022 issued its third Section 114 notice, a legal mechanism that declares a local authority cannot balance its budget. It raised council tax by 15pc in 2023, which pushed up bills for the average household in Croydon by £235 a year to over £2,000. Croydon council taxpayers will see bills rise by 4.8pc between 2025 to 2026, with an average Band D property bill rising to around £2,480, a further increase of £113. Croydon is no longer under a Section 114 notice. Elliot Keck, head of campaigns at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'Residents in bankrupt Birmingham and Croydon will be furious that their councils have squandered hundreds of thousands on golden hellos. 'Taxpayers deserve answers, not more reckless handouts from cash-strapped town halls.' The Conservative mayor of Croydon, Jason Perry, blamed 'toxic historic mismanagement' at the time. The council received a £136m bailout from the taxpayer in February after projecting an overspend of £98m this financial year. Birmingham spent a total of £152,000 on its 'golden hello' scheme for new recruits. The initiative was introduced in 2022 to boost hiring in adults' and children's social care services, and by 2024 it had paid 152 new hires £1,000 each. The council defended the scheme as necessary to tackle difficulties hiring new social care staff which it described as 'one of the most acute national workforce challenges'. The city issued its Section 114 notice in 2023 and increased council tax by 10pc last year, with a further 8.5pc increase approved this year, taking the average Band D council tax to £2,236 a year. A Birmingham City Council spokesman said: 'National bodies such as the Local Government Authority and British Association of Social Workers have repeatedly highlighted recruitment into adults' and children's social care roles as one of the most acute national workforce challenges, particularly within frontline health and social care roles. 'The introduction of a £1,000 golden hello for recruits into hard-to-fill posts such as qualified social workers and occupational therapists represents a modest, proportionate and evidence-based incentive aligned with sector-wide practices. We do not pay golden hellos for officers in senior leadership roles.' Croydon Council was contacted for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
11-04-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Bankrupt councils dish out £600k in ‘golden hellos'
Two cash-strapped councils have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on 'golden hellos' for new staff despite declaring bankruptcy, The Telegraph can reveal. Birmingham City Council handed individual payments of £1,000 to workers for agreeing to sign on between 2022 and last year, while Croydon Council paid them as much as £5,000 in the same period. The sign-on bonuses were paid despite declining public services with Birmingham forced to dim street lights and cut bin collections as council tax soared 10pc last year alone. Croydon, which declared bankruptcy in 2023, issued another £35m warning last year. The cash incentives were given to dozens of new recruits to frontline local authority services, according to Freedom of Information requests made by The Telegraph. Croydon spent £439,000 on starting bonuses between 2022 and 2024. It gave a 'welcome payment' of £5,000 to 74 staff during that time, while 15 received payments of £4,000 and three were paid £3,000. In the same period, Croydon declared effective bankruptcy three times between 2020 and 2022, while Birmingham went bankrupt in 2023. The starting bonuses at Croydon were approved amid a financial crisis at the town hall, which in November 2022 issued its third Section 114 notice, a legal mechanism that declares a local authority cannot balance its budget. It raised council tax by 15pc in 2023, which pushed up bills for the average household in Croydon by £235 a year to over £2,000. Croydon council taxpayers will see bills rise by 4.8pc between 2025 to 2026, with an average Band D property bill rising to around £2,480, a further increase of £113. Croydon is no longer under a Section 114 notice. Elliot Keck, head of campaigns at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'Residents in bankrupt Birmingham and Croydon will be furious that their councils have squandered hundreds of thousands on golden hellos. 'Taxpayers deserve answers, not more reckless handouts from cash-strapped town halls.' The Conservative mayor of Croydon, Jason Perry, blamed 'toxic historic mismanagement' at the time. The council received a £136m bailout from the taxpayer in February after projecting an overspend of £98m this financial year. Birmingham spent a total of £152,000 on its 'golden hello' scheme for new recruits. The initiative was introduced in 2022 to boost hiring in adults' and children's social care services, and by 2024 it had paid 152 new hires £1,000 each. The council defended the scheme as necessary to tackle difficulties hiring new social care staff which it described as 'one of the most acute national workforce challenges'. The city issued its Section 114 notice in 2023 and increased council tax by 10pc last year, with a further 8.5pc increase approved this year, taking the average Band D council tax to £2,236 a year. A Birmingham City Council spokesman said: 'National bodies such as the Local Government Authority and British Association of Social Workers have repeatedly highlighted recruitment into adults' and children's social care roles as one of the most acute national workforce challenges, particularly within frontline health and social care roles. 'The introduction of a £1,000 golden hello for recruits into hard-to-fill posts such as qualified social workers and occupational therapists represents a modest, proportionate and evidence-based incentive aligned with sector-wide practices. We do not pay golden hellos for officers in senior leadership roles.' Croydon Council was contacted for comment.
Telegraph
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Labour councillors living freebie ‘high life' as rubbish piles high on Birmingham's streets
Labour councillors have accepted hundreds of pounds worth of freebies during Birmingham's bin strike. The city council's deputy leader attended ballet shows and a Champions League football match as rubbish began to pile high, it has emerged. The authority's cabinet member for tourism also enjoyed a free meal worth £50 during the crisis, which has led to rats 'as big as cats' plaguing neighbourhoods and even getting into residents' cars. Elliot Keck, head of campaigns at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'Local residents will be utterly appalled that as their bins pile high, councillors are living the high life. 'Birmingham's ballooning bin crisis is just the latest in a long line of catastrophic failures from this pitiful town hall, with the stench of incompetence and ineptitude almost overpowering that of the growing piles of waste. 'Ministers need to consider whether Birmingham council is fit for purpose, or whether this leviathan of a council needs to be abolished entirely, with a new body or set of bodies formed in its place.' Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, on Thursday was forced by a union boss to intervene in the dispute by sending Jim McMahon, the local government minister, to confront council chiefs. While the all-out strike was only launched by bin workers last month, mounds of waste began to pile up on Birmingham's streets in January when intermittent walkouts first took place. One-day strikes on Jan 6, 14 and 22 were followed by a fourth day of strike action on Jan 30. The evening before, on Jan 29, as the city prepared for another day of missed collections, Sharon Thompson, the council's deputy leader, was in the stands of Villa Park alongside 42,000 other football supporters. She received a ticket worth approximately £300 from Brindley Capital, an investment firm, to watch Aston Villa beat Celtic 4-2 in the Champions League. Just over two weeks later on Feb 15, the councillor and a guest were at Symphony Hall, Birmingham's grandest concert venue, for a ballet show celebrating Frederick Ashton, the famed British choreographer. Four days later on Feb 19, she and a guest watched a ballet performance of Cinderella at the Birmingham Hippodrome. She later declared the value of the Ashton show tickets as £60 and the Cinderella tickets as £80. Earlier that month, her council colleague Saima Suleman, the council's cabinet member for digital, culture, heritage and tourism, received a free meal at Asha's Indian Restaurant from the Night Time Industries Association, an organisation representing the UK's night-time venues. She later declared that the meal was worth £50 and she attended 'on behalf of the [council] leader'. A council spokesman insisted that the councillors' gifts were related to their work in the authority. But as they enjoyed the complimentary shows and meals, the bin workers were ramping up their strike action. Members of Unite announced on Feb 26 that they would escalate their walkouts into an indefinite all-out strike from March 11. John Hunt, the former leader of the council's Liberal Democrat group, suggested the freebies raised questions over how seriously the council had been treating the industrial action. He said: 'We've all been wondering whether council leadership is taking this seriously enough. ' Birmingham is on the edge of chaos and the strike is fundamental to solving the city's problems. We had a major incident declared but things only seem to have got worse.' It is estimated that almost three million wheelie bins worth of waste has been left rotting in the streets. Workers went on strike over the council's decision to abolish its waste recycling and collection officer role, which is responsible for safety at the back of a refuse lorry. The council has been under Labour control since 2012 and declared effective bankruptcy in September 2023 as it attempted to juggle a £760 million equal pay bill and an £80 million overspend on an IT project. John Cotton, the authority's leader, has received more than £1,500 worth of freebies since he took charge in May 2023. This has included tickets to the musicals Wicked and Hamilton, along with a ticket worth £125 to watch England against the West Indies from the chair's lounge at Edgbaston cricket ground. Majid Mahmood, the cabinet member in charge of waste services, has also received hundreds of pounds worth of tickets for cricket games in the past two years. This included tickets to the T20 Vitality Blast final at Edgbaston in September. He did not declare a specific value but hospitality tickets for the game retailed at £359. Kevin Hollinrake, the shadow business secretary, said: 'Labour councillors living it up on freebies and awarding themselves bumper pay rises, paid for by the local residents who suffer rat-infested rubbish piling high on their streets, tells you everything you need to know about Labour-run councils. 'Meanwhile, the Government continues to sit on its hands, turning a blind eye to the Unite strike barons who are holding the city's refuse services hostage, all because of the tens of millions of pounds that this union has funnelled to the Labour Party and their top team.' Birmingham city council has been contacted for comment.
The National
24-03-2025
- Business
- The National
Overseas owners face paying twice as much tax on UK properties
British expats and second home owners face huge increases under the UK's council tax regime from next week on any properties in the UK that are not rented out permanently. From April 1, local authorities are able to use new powers allowing them to double the council tax on certain properties, aimed at cracking down on second homeowners or properties used as short-term holiday rentals. Frequent complaints have been made that locals in tourist areas such as Cornwall and Dorset are priced out of the housing market because of a proliferation of second homes. But the law change, under the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 brought in by the previous government, actually applies to any property that is furnished and only lived in periodically. It allowed authorities to increase council tax by up to 100 per cent. This means it would affect those living abroad who kept their UK property but did not permanently rent it – perhaps choosing to use it when they returned for holidays – or those that let it through services such as Airbnb. In total, the move could affect about 500,000 property owners. Exemptions may exist if the properties are put up for sale or are undergoing major refurbishment. Research for The Times and Sky News found around three quarters of local authorities were taking up the option to double the charge, which would take average council tax bills from £2,280 to £4,560. The tax premium already exists in Wales. Elliot Keck, head of campaigns for the Taxpayers' Alliance, told The National: 'The council tax premium on second homes is a naked cash grab by town halls desperate to squeeze affluent residents out of every last drop, no matter how morally dubious their actions may be. 'It's an obviously iniquitous charge given expats and holidaymakers use council services far less than those with their primary residence in the area. 'Labour should immediately cancel this terrible tax raid and ensure that the premium does not exist beyond the upcoming financial year.' Estate agents such as Savills have already reported a rise in people looking to sell weekend properties, putting it down to a combination of surcharges and an increase in stamp duty in the last budget, while the value of properties in some coastal towns have dropped by up to 10 per cent. However, the increased revenue could mean a significant boost to local authorities, which are faced with surging costs for issues such as social care. Cornwall County Council expects to accrue an extra £30 million a year – three per cent of its annual budget – with Dorset making an extra £15 million. As well as tourist hotspots, several London boroughs such as Wandsworth and Camden are bringing it in, as well as towns and cities such as Bristol and Rochdale. Data compiled by estate agents Hamptons, published on March 24, suggested 71 per cent of England's 371 local authorities had decided to capitalise on the new charge from April 1, generating about £500m in total. Typical council tax bills are also expected to rise by 5 per cent on average from April 1. The Local Government Association, which represents councils in England and Wales, defended the increased charges, saying authorities need to ensure a supply of homes that meet the needs of local people, and a tax premium would encourage owners to bring the properties back into permanent use. Momentum in the UK housing market slowed in February amid signs of weakening buyer confidence, according to surveyors. Buyer demand slipped to its weakest levels since November 2023, with a net balance of 14 per cent of property professionals reporting a fall in demand rather than a rise, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics). Its survey of professionals indicated that higher stamp duty costs for some home-buyers from April 1 are expected to weaken market activity. Concerns over interest rates, inflation, and global events also appear to be dampening buyer confidence, the report said.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
BBC pays ‘Taliban propaganda wing' so it can broadcast in Afghanistan
The BBC is paying money to the 'Taliban's propaganda wing' to ensure that it can broadcast in Afghanistan. Since militants seized Kabul in August 2021, the Islamic fundamentalist regime has censored multiple media companies and forced radio stations off air. But the corporation remains able to broadcast from the country, in part because of payments to Radio and Television of Afghanistan (RTA). The Telegraph understands money from the BBC covers rent to small parts of the RTA sites, which enables the BBC to house its FM equipment. Security for those sites is also covered by the rent. It comes amid further criticism of the BBC over a Gaza documentary. Elliot Keck, head of campaigns at the TaxPayers' Alliance said: 'Taxpayers will feel sick to the stomach by what the BBC is doing in Afghanistan. 'The BBC is funding what is effectively the propaganda wing of the Taliban. 'If the price of remaining in Afghanistan involves bending over backwards to Taliban demands then the BBC should consider pulling out.' Meanwhile, the Taliban is continuing to restrict the freedoms of women, minority groups and others. Last week a British couple were arrested by the Taliban. Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 75, had been running training projects in schools in the country for the past 18 years. They were detained on their way home on Feb 1. A BBC spokesman said: 'The BBC is editorially independent throughout its programming, irrespective of the language service, and remains the only international news media organisation still broadcasting inside Afghanistan. 'We make rental payments to RTA to enable distribution, via the BBC FM network, of independent and impartial news to audiences throughout the country. 'The BBC has robust compliance procedures in place to ensure it complies with UK sanctions.' The UK does not maintain comprehensive sanctions against the Taliban but has, instead, designated individuals and entities within Afghanistan. Last week, the BBC removed the documentary Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone from iPlayer after it emerged that it had prominently featured the son of a Hamas minister. Gary Lineker and other television industry figures have since criticised the corporation, accusing it of bowing to 'censorship' and racism. Credit: BBC/Gaza: How To Survive a Warzone Meanwhile, the BBC's charitable wing, BBC Media Action – which operates independently of the broadcaster – is reportedly contributing to the regime by paying income tax on staff salaries and operating costs such as vehicle registration and licensing. The Telegraph understands this is not a breach of sanctions and such costs are required by any organisation operating in Afghanistan. In the 2023-24 tax year, US taxpayer-funded agency USAid gave £2.6 million to the charitable organisation, which trains journalists and helps improve communications in some of the world's poorest countries. It meant the overseas aid agency was BBC Media Action's largest donor. Yet in February, Donald Trump, the president, began shutting down the USAid, after saying it 'was run by a bunch of radical lunatics'. A BBC Media Action spokesman said: 'Our work in Afghanistan plays a critical role supporting local journalists to provide life-saving information on matters including health, nutrition and food security. 'We are also proud of our work with local radio stations to support some of the last remaining women journalists working in radio in the country.' They added: 'To be clear, RTA receives no training, equipment or funding from BBC Media Action. 'BBC Media Action operates in full compliance with applicable sanctions.' There is no suggestion that the BBC or BBC Media Action are breaking sanctions. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
