More than 200 council employees in London earned more than the Prime Minister last year, according to a new “town hall rich list” analysis.
Research by the TaxPayers’ Alliance found that 213 local authority staff across London, in roles ranging from chief executives to finance directors, earned more than Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose salary is £172,153. This figure includes salary, pension contributions, and bonuses.
In terms of salary alone, 121 employees earned more than the Prime Minister last year, marking an increase of nearly 25% compared with the previous year, when 97 council employees out-earned the Prime Minister.
Across the UK, 320 council staff earned more than the Prime Minister in 2024 to 2025, up by around a third on the year before.
In London alone, 1,040 council employees received six-figure pay packets in 2024 to 2025, an increase of 219 compared with the previous year.
The highest-paid local government employee was Claire Spencer, managing director of the Barbican Centre at the City of London Corporation, who received £373,000.
She was followed by Niall Bolger, former chief executive of Hounslow Council, on £323,168, and Pippa Hack, director of place and growth at Greenwich Council, on £310,825.
Westminster City Council had the highest number of six-figure earners, with 92 staff members paid more than £100,000—up by 19 year-on-year and a twelvefold increase since 2005 to 2006, when just seven employees crossed that threshold.
Fifteen Westminster staff earned more than the Prime Minister last year, the highest number of any London borough. This was followed by the City of London (12) and Wandsworth (11).
Westminster Council said the rise reflects both gradual national pay increases and the need to attract specialist talent for the demands of a major central London authority.
A spokesperson for the council said: “The council is not hiring significantly more staff into roles paying over £100k per year. Primarily, this increase is accounted for by gradual annual pay increases. These are agreed nationally.
“Westminster City Council is a high-profile local authority with unique responsibilities at the heart of the capital. As such, we need to recruit the best talent for managing within a complex organisation whose work involves partnership with central Government, the multi-billion economy of the West End and supporting around a quarter of a million residents. The salaries paid reflect the skills needed to lead the authority.”
