Nearly all North East council chiefs earn more than the PM

Only two council bosses in the region are earning less than the Prime Minister's annual salary of £166,786, with the majority earning substantially more, according to new data compiled by the TaxPayers’ Alliance.

Middlesbrough’s chief executive was paid £151,515, while North Tyneside’s earned £165,688.

The data is for the 2024/25 financial year, with some council chiefs no longer in post.

'Plush packages'

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: "Taxpayers are caught in a pincer movement with a record-breaking tax burden on one side and a bloated public sector feathering its nest on the other.

"Residents can see exactly how many local bureaucrats are receiving plush packages and judge for themselves whether they're getting value for money."

The figures reveal 151 council employees in the North East earned more than £100,000 in 2024-25, eight more than last year.

A survey from the County Councils Network found nearly all county and unitary councils in the North East expect to overspend on adult social care this year.

The survey results estimate a combined overspend of £640m across county authorities in England.

Council chiefs earning more than the Prime Minister in the North East include:

• John Hewitt, Durham (£258,964)
• Patrick Melia, Sunderland (£246,793)
• Richard Flinton, North Yorkshire (£237,277)
• Jonathan Tew, South Tyneside (£230,425)
• Helen Paterson, Northumberland (£222,251)
• Pam Smith, Newcastle (£202,347)
• Mike Greene, Stockton (£200,344)
• Ian Williams, Darlington (£194,055) - No longer in post
• Denise McGuckin, Hartlepool (£187,904) - No longer in post
• Dale Owens, Gateshead (£187,366)
• John Sampson, Redcar and Cleveland (£167,759) - No longer in post