MP slams massive Chief Exec pay off as 'Shameful and out of touch'

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has this afternoon slammed the County Council's Conservative leader Eddie Martin and Labour Deputy Leader Stewart Young for agreeing to a huge pay off for Chief Executive Jill Stannard who is taking early retirement.

Her application for early retirement has been agreed today by the County Council's Chief Officer Panel. In an email to staff, the council described the decision as 'driven by the need for service efficiencies.' Tim has contacted the council and asked for full details of these alleged cost savings, their efficiency document outlining the savings and the cost of the 'golden handshake' attached to her early retirement.

Tim has called on Cumbria County Council to follow government advice on this. On the 20th February 2013, Conservative Secretary of State, Eric Pickles MP wrote to all local authorities and said: "Full Council should be given the opportunity to vote on salary packages of £100,000 or more." Tim has called on the Conservative led council to agree to do this.

This lavish and unnecessary package contrasts with the County Council's decision to impose a 30% cut in the salaries of hundreds of teaching assistants throughout Cumbria, and to increase the price of Meals on Wheels for Cumbria's most vulnerable and elderly residents.

Tim said: "This shameful announcement shows that the priorities of the Conservative-Labour council are very wrong.

"They have chosen to commit hundreds of thousands of tax payers money to funding this pay off, but they can't find funds to fix Cumbria's 40,000 potholes. While they agree this huge golden handshake, they are increasing the price of meals on wheels to elderly people, and cutting the wages of hard working teaching assistants."

"This is a staggeringly wrong decision - rushed through just days before the election. People across our county will be outraged by this out of touch decision, and rightly so."