Never explain, never complain, unless it’s to blame the Tories for anything.The chief executive pay was increased ahead of the new appointment, presumably to attract the best possible candidates, so the £325,000 pocketed by Paul Nasjarek is incorrect. Part of that sum will be pension contribution. He decamped last year and is now the interim head of the Local Government Ombudsman!Of course, a rigorous selection process was followed to find Mr Nasharek’s successor, with Tony Clement arriving with glowing references. This is the same Tony Clement who left his role as Ealing Council’s Head of Place in Spring 2020 with a £74,000 payoff. Not a redundancy payment, just a payoff. Technically he shouldn’t have been eligible for the CE post but he’s Peter Mason’s mate (and regular MIPIM attendee back in the da), so clearly ideal for the role. His appointment led to a slew of senior council executives resigning, which indicates there was a personality clash at some point.Private Eye’s Rotten Boroughs column always highlights the very lucrative gravy train for council executives, regardless of ability or achievement, and it seems Mr Clement is a regular passenger.
Simon Hayes ● 382d