Southwark Council’s £31 Million Spending on Consultants Raises Eyebrows
Southwark Council has spent £31 million on consultants and agency staff, a significant increase from last year, prompting concerns over financial management.
Southwark, United Kingdom, Consultants, Agency Staff, Labour Council
Southwark: So, get this! Southwark Council has splashed out a whopping £31 million on consultants and agency staff in just ten months. That’s over £6 million more than last year. Crazy, right?
The Southwark Liberal Democrats dug up these figures, showing that the Labour-run council spent £2 million on consultants since April 2024. That’s an 18% jump from the £1.7 million they spent last year. Yikes!
And it doesn’t stop there. They’ve also seen a 26% rise in spending on agency workers, totaling £29 million since April 2024, up from £23.1 million. Talk about a budget buster!
Cllr Victor Chamberlain, the Liberal Democrat Leader of the Opposition, is not happy. He said, “With so many families struggling, the council needs to be smarter with its money.” He pointed out that while councils often blame the national government for issues, Southwark has clear waste problems typical of Labour councils.
The council claims that about 88% of the increase in consultancy spending is for outsourced services to help with their new finance, procurement, business IT, and HR system. They say it’s all budgeted through a specific reserve.
A council spokesman explained, “Since this project is rare, we don’t have permanent staff for it. We hire experts as needed.” Fair enough, but the Liberal Democrats argue that consultants are also being brought in for other projects, like Southwark 2030 and school closures.
Councillor Stephanie Cryan, who handles equalities, democracy, and finance, reassured everyone that they’re focused on hiring permanent staff and bringing services back in-house. She said, “Most of our workforce is in-house, but sometimes we need consultants for specific projects.”
She added, “We regularly check our spending on consultants to keep it low and ensure it benefits our residents.” Sounds like they’re trying to keep things in check!
Pictured top: Southwark Council HQ in Tooley Street (Picture: Google Street View)