The cost of paying civil servants in Angela Rayner’s department has gone up significantly since she became Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary last July. Her department, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, along with its related agencies, has spent an extra £20 million on staff. This increase is mainly due to hiring more outside consultants, bringing in more officials, and paying civil servants overtime.
Richard Holden, the Shadow Paymaster General, criticized the spending, saying that while Labour is raising taxes on workers and businesses, the Deputy Prime Minister is spending taxpayers’ money on bureaucrats at record levels. He called it a waste of public money and questioned what Labour’s Rachel Reeves and Angela Rayner are doing with the funds.
Official data shows that the wage bill for the department jumped from £76.3 million in July to £96.2 million in December. Before Labour won the election, the wage bill had only increased by about £2 million over seven months. Spending on consultants has also gone up by £1.4 million each month. Additionally, the number of civil servants has grown, and the department is still hiring more staff.
Part of the increased spending is due to a 5% pay raise for civil servants that Labour approved in November, which was backdated to August 1.
A spokesperson for the Housing Ministry defended the spending, saying the department is working on important new housing and planning laws to improve living standards. They explained that the small increase in staff and higher pay, in line with public sector pay agreements, have contributed to the rise in the wage bill.
