Spin doctor on £620 a day stays seven months at Sussex council (From The Argus)
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Spin doctor on £620 a day stays seven months at Sussex council
9:00am Tuesday 29th January 2013 in News
A spin doctor hired on £620 a day on a temporary basis is to finally leave her council post – after staying for three months longer than officials said she would.
East Sussex County Council hired Jill Rawlins as temporary head of communications in July and told The Argus she would be in the role for up to four months.
However the council extended her contract so she could help the authority with marketing campaigns and to help increase the uptake of MMR vaccinations.
It is possible that by the time she leaves her post, Mrs Rawlins could have been paid more than £100,000 for seven months work – more than her predecessor was paid in a year.
This week, the council announced her replacement will be Simon Wakeman, who will take on the role of head of communications while also staying in his current role at Medway Council.
It will be the first time two upper tier councils have shared their top communications role in this way, with the authorities paying half his wages each.
Shared communications
A spokesman was unable to confirm Mr Wakeman’s salary, but it is understood the council will pay him less than his predecessor was paid.
The merging of the communications role is part of a larger project of the two councils working together to develop proposals for a shared communications agency.
Opposition councillors say the temporary communications post is just one of several interim high-level consultants costing the taxpayer dear.
Last month, The Argus revealed the authority was spending £1,101 a day on temporary management.
Recruitment work
Simon Hughes, the assistant chief executive at the council, said: “The extension has allowed Jill to help us with recruitment and to work through some management changes designed to save money.”
Councillor David Tutt, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the local authority, said: “I’m not saying these people are anything but competent at their jobs, but the council should be looking at longer-term appointments.
“I’m not sure why they have had delays, they have been looking at their structure for what they want from the longer term, but while they do that it is costing taxpayers a lot of money.”
Labour councillor Jeremy Birch said: “Temporary means temporary and short-term and we are stretching the definition here.”
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Comments(18)
668 The neighbour of the beast
says...
9:27am Tue 29 Jan 13
Well done everybody, doubles all round.
Poccypoc
says...
10:01am Tue 29 Jan 13
ns manager.
I know of similar rates in Whitehall. They handle massive media interest in the Government, and this needs to be done by experts - and experts cost money.
inadaptado
says...
10:02am Tue 29 Jan 13
lillylou
says...
10:24am Tue 29 Jan 13
Crystal Ball
says...
10:25am Tue 29 Jan 13
668 The neighbour of the beast
says...
10:27am Tue 29 Jan 13
Poccypoc wrote:You're so right.
Never under-estimate the worth of a good press officer/communicatio
ns manager.
I know of similar rates in Whitehall. They handle massive media interest in the Government, and this needs to be done by experts - and experts cost money.
£1000 a day for someone in Whitehall to remind our glorious leaders that 'underpants go under trousers' is so worth it.
Care to share any other examples of such experts at work? Texting 'no comment' to tabloids from the Groucho club whilst organising colonic irrigations for senior managers in a last-ditch attempt to decipher their intentions?
I think we should be told.
Indigatio
says...
11:35am Tue 29 Jan 13
Poccypoc wrote:In the old days it was called Propaganda. These days it is called something else more descriptive of male cattle and their excrement!.
Never under-estimate the worth of a good press officer/communicatio
ns manager.
I know of similar rates in Whitehall. They handle massive media interest in the Government, and this needs to be done by experts - and experts cost money.
HJarrs
says...
12:19pm Tue 29 Jan 13
lillylou wrote:Most of don't earn £5 an hour and the average B&H wage is above £25000. if you are over 21 the minimum wage is £6.19 an hour. Looks like you need to have words with your employer!
Disgusting when most of us earn £5 an hour how dare this goverment keep slating job seekers when she obviously can afford her rent and council tax !
bogs
says...
12:22pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Poccypoc
says...
12:22pm Tue 29 Jan 13
668 The neighbour of the beast wrote:You can mock, but the newspapers would REALLY run riot if people like Jill Rawlings and me weren't there to put the Government's view.
Poccypoc wrote:You're so right.
Never under-estimate the worth of a good press officer/communicatio
ns manager.
I know of similar rates in Whitehall. They handle massive media interest in the Government, and this needs to be done by experts - and experts cost money.
£1000 a day for someone in Whitehall to remind our glorious leaders that 'underpants go under trousers' is so worth it.
Care to share any other examples of such experts at work? Texting 'no comment' to tabloids from the Groucho club whilst organising colonic irrigations for senior managers in a last-ditch attempt to decipher their intentions?
I think we should be told.
Poccypoc
says...
12:23pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Indigatio wrote:Newspapers like The Argus and their national cousins would spread even more lies and deception if press officers weren't there!
Poccypoc wrote:In the old days it was called Propaganda. These days it is called something else more descriptive of male cattle and their excrement!.
Never under-estimate the worth of a good press officer/communicatio
ns manager.
I know of similar rates in Whitehall. They handle massive media interest in the Government, and this needs to be done by experts - and experts cost money.
getThisCoalitionOut
says...
2:02pm Tue 29 Jan 13
HJarrs wrote:Average and what most people are paid is two completely different things. I don't know anyone paid £25K per annum and I've never been paid that much.
lillylou wrote:Most of don't earn £5 an hour and the average B&H wage is above £25000. if you are over 21 the minimum wage is £6.19 an hour. Looks like you need to have words with your employer!
Disgusting when most of us earn £5 an hour how dare this goverment keep slating job seekers when she obviously can afford her rent and council tax !
Average is got from figures which include exhorbitant amounts like the disgusting amount paid to this woman in this article. No one should be paid that much when they working for the public - this council seems to be fleecing the council tax payers and this isn't what they've been employed to do.
Something needs to happen to sort out the unfair divide in what so many are on in this country (very low income) and what so many are on and don't deserve to be (far too high an income).
When you're on a low income you also have the added stress of trying to claim benefits that you are actually entitled to but aren't automatically given - you have to fill in forms frequently, many mistakes are made by the government depts that deal with your claim such as Tax credits - an absolute nightmare to try and claim and council tax benefit - another nightmare.
This has to change.
roughsea
says...
2:43pm Tue 29 Jan 13
nocando
says...
2:48pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Fairfax Sakes
says...
2:56pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Grendel
says...
2:47pm Wed 30 Jan 13
lillylou
says...
3:54pm Wed 30 Jan 13
HJarrs wrote:Oh wow an extra £1.19 an hour that's really gona pay £200 a week rent £35 a week council tax !!!how lucky these £25,000 a year people are and there moaning probably the teachers !
lillylou wrote:Most of don't earn £5 an hour and the average B&H wage is above £25000. if you are over 21 the minimum wage is £6.19 an hour. Looks like you need to have words with your employer!
Disgusting when most of us earn £5 an hour how dare this goverment keep slating job seekers when she obviously can afford her rent and council tax !
mimseycal says...
9:03am Tue 29 Jan 13