Climate axe would save council 0.02%

Officers cost just £153k out of a budget of £735 million

- Phil Corrigan Local Democracy Reporter

AXING workers in climate change policy and 'DEI' would save just 0.02 per cent of Staffordshire County Council's budget, analysis has shown.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage promised a 're-prioritisation' towards core services at the county council following his party’s landslide election victory last month, and suggested that staff in areas such as climate change and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) should ‘go look for another job’.

But figures released by the county council, following a freedom of information request, shows that just four employees work in climate change policy, while none at all are classed as working within DEI. The climate change officers together cost £153,000 a year - out of an overall net revenue budget of £735 million suggesting that it is not an area where significant savings can be made.