Campaign calls for end of diversity spending

A survey found councils across the UK had the equivalent of 543 full-time diversity posts in 2009/10, costing nearly 20.

Birmingham accounted for just under 2m of that figure, with 28 staff, according to responses to freedom of information requests by the TaxPayers' Alliance.

Councils also apparently spent 5m on 141 jobs for political advisors, 6m on 183 European Officer posts, and 10m on 350 Climate Change Officers.

Chris Daniel of the pressure group, said the findings highlighted major differences in the way councils acted. Manchester and Brighton & Hove employed no diversity officers, while Liverpool had seven, he claimed.

"These jobs are all the result of councils going too far in following the edicts of central government, instead of focussing on local priorities; or chasing grants that are, in the end, more than paid for by British taxpayers," Mr Daniel said.

However, the Local Government Association dismissed the research. "This slapdash research fails to acknowledge the huge savings that these members of staff bring to the work of their councils," chief executive John Ransford said.

"Anything more than a cursory analysis of these figures will show that what the Taxpayers' Alliance call unnecessary jobs actually help to ensure that hardworking people get value for money for the taxes they pay."

Local Government minister Grant Shapps said: "In far too many cases there's a duplication of roles in councils with the taxpayer left to pick up the bill."