Welsh Conservatives have questioned a set of new guidelines surrounding senior public sector pay in Wales.

Published today by Welsh government, the ‘principles and minimum standards’ for ‘senior remuneration’ follow years of Welsh Conservative criticism of council ‘fat cat’ salaries.

The Shadow Minister for Local Government has raised doubts over the effectiveness of the new standards.

Janet Finch-Saunders AM said:

“For sixteen years Labour-run Wales has seen town hall fat cats line their pockets while council tax bills rocketand services diminish. The damage has already been done and communities will rightly question if these soft words are too little, too late.

“Transparency in Labour’s public sector must be significantly boosted however and these guidelines are – at least – a step in the right direction.

“Pay levels for the most senior officers in Welsh councils have been raging out of control for years, at taxpayers’ expense, and without any intervention from the Welsh Government to exercise restraint.

“Only guaranteeing an end to bumper pay hikes and golden handshakes will restore local confidence.”