Reform-led county council chief's pay rise called another 'false promise'

PARTY LEADER NIGEL FARAGE HAD CRITICISED SENIOR OFFICIALS WHO 'EARNED OVER 100 GRAND A YEAR'

- By LAUREN MONAGHAN Local Democracy Reporter

A TOP Nottinghamshire council officer earns more than £208,000 a year - more than the prime minister - despite Reform criticism of overpaid council executives.

Reform UK-led Nottinghamshire County Council met last Thursday, to pass the authority's updated pay policy for 2025/26.

Councils are required to publish this each year before the financial year changes.

Contained in the document was the updated fixed annual salary for the council's chief executive, Adrian Smith, which is set by a joint negotiating committee.

Since April 1 last year, Mr Smith's pay has been £208,117 a year - a jump of around 3% from his £201,664 salary between April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025.

The pay ratio between the chief executive - the highest earner at the authority - and the lowest paid has reduced in recent years, and is now at 8:1, whereas the ratio in 2023 was 9.03:1.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage visited the county in April last year before May’s local elections.