Salaries: Council's chief officer to take pay cut

The chief executive of Leeds City Council is to take a five per cent cut in his pay from April.

By The Newsroom

Published 18th Jan 2011, 23:09 BST

Updated 18th Jan 2011, 23:09 BST

Tom Riordan will see his annual salary cut to just over 176,000.

Last week, the Yorkshire Post's Power and Pay survey found only one council chief executive, Wakefield's Joanne Roney, had agreed to a five per cent cut following a plea by Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles for top bosses to share the pain as town hall spending is slashed and keep salaries in line with Prime Minister David Cameron's 142,500

Mr Riordan's decision will save more than 11,000 after he decided not to take an increment rise due in April and when pension costs are factored in.

A Leeds City Council spokesman said: "The decision is his entirely, made after discussion with his family. He is not responding to pressure from any quarter. Mr Riordan thinks it is the right thing to do, given the current financial climate and the need to reduce spending."