Spin doctors costing taxpayers £940,000

A team of spin doctors at Staffordshire County Council is costing taxpayers up to £940,000 a year.

The council has 27 posts in communications and marketing and claims these represent value for money and bring jobs to the county.

A 26-person team is overseen by a director of customer services and communications, a job advertised with a £99,000 salary last year. The role is currently occupied by Jacqui McKinlay. Her successor as head of communications, Kathryn Cooper, earns between £65,281 and £70,177.

Taking into account the pay grading of the 26 positions, the team costs between £747,524 and £841,847 in salaries.

Bosses at the authority say a recent re-structuring saved £90,000.