The amount of taxpayer’s cash being spent on equality, diversity and inclusion roles at Bradford Council is nearly ten times that of other local authorities, a new report has found.
According to Conservative Way Forward, Bradford Council employs 12.5 full time equivalent members of staff in such roles, costing £665,000 a year. Nationally across 397 local councils there are 794 equality, diversity, and inclusivity (EDI) members of staff, meaning on average each council employs two full time employees. The average cost per council is £67,000 totalling a combined £30 million a year.
Shipley MP Philip Davies said: “These figures are shocking and I think many of my constituents will agree with me that there are many other things Bradford Council should be spending its money on. It is always pleading poverty but yet it manages to find more than £55,000 a month to fund such staffing roles.
“I have never hidden the fact I want to tackle the scourge of political correctness and this is a prime example. The job of a council is to deliver for its residents and I do not see how this adds any value whatsoever. If the council is struggling to think of ways to spend its money, I would be happy to provide a list of things it could better use its money on, starting with things which would benefit my constituents.”
The report entitled Defunding Politically Motivated Campaigns said the equality, diversity and inclusivity roles were not essential to delivering council functions and pointed to two councils Carlisle City and Maldon District with no employees in such roles. It said these councils had “avoided unnecessary costs and eliminated a source of divisive politics in their community.” It also said Bradford had spent £227,000 on an equality and diversity e-learning programme.
Additional information given to Mr Davies detailed the salary bands for each of the jobs, which included equalities lead at Bradford which paid up to £90,000.
Other information provided said the total training attendance across EDI related courses for the past twelve months amounts to 10,311 hours or 1,288 days.
The think-tank sent Freedom of Information requests to all councils, universities, and health authorities as part of its report.
