Breckland Council branded ‘disgraceful’ after splashing £11,000 on staff party and raising tax on residents
A council has been branded “disgraceful” after it spent more than £11,000 on a staff party while slamming residents with the highest permissible council tax increase.
Breckland Council was found to have spent £11,193 on the awards celebration for staff following a Freedom of Information request, revealing the council had held the ceremony at Hunters Hall in Swanton Morley.
The Conservative-controlled authority justified the tax rise on residents by citing “economic uncertainty” facing the district.
Costs have risen dramatically in recent years for Breckland residents, with the council tax increase amounting to £4.95 annually for Band D properties.
Executive member for finance Phillip Cowen compared the tax increase to the cost of two Mars bars weekly, claiming that if residents could not afford the new rate, it was “a poor show”.
Reform UK councillor Robin Hunter Clarke, who called for council tax to be frozen at last month’s budget meeting, condemned the expenditure as wasteful and inappropriate.
“It’s disgraceful. What a waste of money,” he told the EDP, “shame on them. This is another example of why they all deserve to be kicked out of office”.
He highlighted the expenditure of “thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money on a party for themselves”, while at the same time increasing council tax by the “maximum amount possible”.
Breckland Council has been a branded ‘disgraceful’ after raising tax on residents while splashing £11,000 on a staff party
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Council insiders allege senior members instructed staff to remain silent about the celebration, with councillors actively discouraged from sharing details on social media platforms.
One source connected to the authority, who wished to remain anonymous, characterised the annual gathering as preferential treatment for those higher up the organisation.
“I think it’s shocking, the amount of money that’s been spent on a staff awards party, considering the cost of living crisis that’s been going on for the last five years,” the insider told the EDP.
Robin Hunter-Clarke slammed the council’s decision
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Reform UKThe whopping awards ceremony bill of more than £11,000 represents the equivalent of what 90 local households will pay in council tax over the coming year.
Reports claim the council’s Chief executive Maxine O’Mahony receives a salary of up to £141,816.
A Breckland spokesman defended the staff celebration event, suggesting it provided a rare opportunity for colleagues to gather and acknowledge achievements that had benefited local residents.
The authority highlighted that nominees included councillors who had “addressed significant housing challenges, championed rural businesses and farmers, and brought millions of pounds in national funding to the district”.
Officials explained that previous ceremonies had been hosted at the council’s headquarters, but limited space meant some staff felt excluded from attending – hence the external venue hire.
Moving to an external venue also supported a local business, the spokesman said.
The council maintained that recognising employee dedication “improved morale, encouraged high-quality work, and helped retain talented officers delivering services to residents”.
The incident mirrors the ‘partygate’ incident during the pandemic, where former Prime Minister Boris Johnson was questioned over allegations of a Covid rule-breaking parties – which he denied.
Investigations carried out by senior civil servant Sue Gray and the Metropolitan Police found rules had been broken and a number of fines were issued, including to Mr Johnson and his then chancellor, Rishi Sunak.
