Staffordshire County Council is set to spend up to £142,010 on hiring political assistants. Two assistants could be appointed at the authority, with one assigned to the ruling Reform UK group and the other available to the council’s Conservative group.
The roles will be funded from a corporate contingency fund and will be one-year contracts. Under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, local authorities may appoint up to three political assistants, each one assigned to a different eligible political group, provided that the group has at least 10% of the total council membership.
Council leader Ian Cooper said: “Political assistants are routinely employed by councils up and down the country to support councillors through political research and briefings. I know that there are councils close by that have political assistants – when we went to the LGA (Local Government Association) conference they were quite astonished that we don’t.
“Local government is currently facing the biggest reorganisation in decades, so it is more important than ever that councillors are kept on national Government policies affecting the county and the areas we service. The assistants will help provide invaluable detailed research and analysis and will be available to the main parties – not just to us, but the opposition as well.
“This position is only temporary – it is a 12-month contract. It will see us over the difficulties we foresee ahead, particularly with LGR (local government reorganisation), and it fits within the role of the council, reporting to me as the leader.
“We have always made decisions based on business and evidence and data-driven. We are different from previous councillors and we see this as a benefit that will drive this council to be more effective and efficient; it will pay for itself very quickly in the knowledge and experience that we gain.”
Councillor Cooper added that the £142,010 detailed in the cabinet report was the “potential maximum for two people” and was not what would be paid to an individual. Fellow cabinet members backed the proposed appointments.
Councillor Peter Mason said, cabinet member for strategic highways, said: “We need that experience and support to help put Staffordshire back on the map. It’s been neglected for too many years and I fully support this role because it’s absolutely to the benefit of Staffordshire.”
Councillor Chris Large, cabinet member for finance and resources, said: “As cabinet members, over the next two years we will all be extremely busy. Having this extra person who understands the ins and outs of political life and has the ability to do the research as well, whilst everyone else is getting on with their day jobs of trying to run Staffordshire, I think is a vital position to have.”
Councillor Janet Higgins, cabinet member for education and SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) said: “We’re all new to this, we’re all doing our utmost best to do a good job. Having someone who is neutral and uses past experience and knowledge will be extremely beneficial to all of us.”
