While 40 councils are on the brink of bankruptcy and outrage grows over the rise in council tax, one wonders what these councils have actually been spending taxpayers’ money on. Unsurprisingly, diversity’s the name, spending is the game…

The Taxpayers’ Alliance reveals that UK councils have splurged a whopping £51,775,800 on equality, diversity and inclusion hires since 2020, the figure ramping up by 41% in the last financial year alone. Cash strapped councils who have had to raise council taxes to ‘function’ have been among those who decided hiring ‘woke’ jobs to be a priority. Just one example is bankrupt Birmingham, where council tax is increasing by 21%, hiring an “Assistant Director of Community Services and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion” with an eye-watering average salary of £103,165. Nice work if you can get it…

Joanna Marchong of the TPA nailed it:

“With the cost of council tax soaring and the mounting debt councils are sitting on, taxpayers will be astonished by the money wasted on council non-jobs.”

The report comes after Hunt announced plans for a public sector productivity drive last week, suggesting he would tell UK councils to cut spending on consultants and diversity schemes. Whether he’ll actually deliver it or kick the can down the road like he did when he announced a crack down on woke waste across Whitehall is yet to be seen…