Brief
Enfield Council faces criticism over £190,000 assistant chief executive post
Opposition councillors say the high‑pay role lacks proper democratic oversight and costs more than the prime minister's salary.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Enfield Council announced a new assistant chief executive for change and improvement role with a salary of up to £190,000, prompting backlash from opposition Labour councillors, Standard reported on 10 October 2026.
What happened
The council posted the vacancy on its LinkedIn page and recruiter Ransley Boardman, setting a closing date of 25 October. The position is described as consolidating several corporate functions to provide stronger strategic leadership and accelerate transformation work.
What the reports add
Standard noted that the salary exceeds the £174,000 reportedly earned by the prime minister. Labour group leader Ergin Erbil warned that council officers said the appointment cannot be "called in" by the overview and scrutiny committee, arguing that such a senior appointment should be open to democratic scrutiny.
What was said
Erbil told Standard, "A senior appointment involving significant public money should be open to proper democratic scrutiny" and added that councillors have a responsibility to ensure taxpayers' money is spent appropriately. A council spokesperson responded that the appointment "is not a key decision and therefore is not subject to call‑in" by the scrutiny committee.
How it came about
The move follows Council leader Alessandro Georgiou's earlier decision to eliminate associate cabinet member posts created by the previous Labour administration, each of which carried an allowance of over £8,000 per year. Conservatives, now in a minority administration, have pledged greater transparency and accountability in their election manifesto.
Key facts
- Enfield Council is recruiting an assistant chief executive with a salary up to £190,000. (standard.co.uk)
- Labour councillor Ergin Erbil criticised the lack of scrutiny over the appointment. (standard.co.uk)
- The council says the role will combine existing corporate functions to improve strategic leadership. (standard.co.uk)
- The job posting closes on 25 October 2026. (standard.co.uk)
Sources
- [1] standard.co.uk — originally reported as “London borough slammed over plans to create new £190,000 council role”
