Pickles slams 'casual attitude' to golden goodbyes

Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has today commented on the habit of local councils giving huge payoffs to officers:

"The age of golden goodbyes and huge pay offs in the public sector must end. Such as a casual attitude to spending public money both looks and feels wrong and sends the wrong message to hard working members of the public."

The particular case he was talking about was in Labour Newham. But presumably his comments apply equally to Conservative led Cornwall where £78,750 was given to Peter Lewis despite the fact that Mr Lewis had only been with the council for 9 months as Corporate Services Director and left of his own volition.

Still the Council is hiding behind a confidentiality agreement and refusing to explain why Mr Lewis left or why it felt such a huge payoff was in order.