Council leader Jeremy Pembroke
Suffolk: New £64k council spin doctor revealed
By Paul Geater, local government correspondent
Friday, November 12, 2010
4:13 PM
SUFFOLK County Council has finally found a new permanent head for its communications team.
Simon Higgins will take over as head of strategic communications on a salary of £64,000 a year on November 22.
Mr Higgins, who is currently a freelance communications consultant, was previously head of communications and marketing at North Tyneside council.
He will be heading up a team that is due to eventually total 18 staff. One of his first jobs will be to appoint a new chief press officer and press officer.
The appointment was confirmed yesterday following a meeting of the county’s staff appointments committee chaired by council leader Jeremy Pembroke on Wednesday.
It was the authority’s second attempt to fill the position. The job was originally advertised in September but after interviewing a number of candidates the authority felt no one of sufficient calibre had been seen.
The job was readvertised, and Mr Higgins was successful this week.
Sally Marlow, Head of Human Resources at the county council said: “Following a robust recruitment process Simon Higgins has been appointed to the position of Head of Strategic Communications at Suffolk County Council.
“Simon has more than 14 years experience in communications, both in the public and private sector.”
Although his salary is at the upper end of the £55,000 to £64,000 advertised for the post, Mr Higgins will be earning considerably less than the last full-time holder of the post.
Carryl Jackson was on more than £80,000 a year when she left at the start of the year. And he will also cost the council less than interim head of communications Jill Rawlins who is costing the county £800 a day – a fee of £650 a day and an agency fee of £150 a day.
Latest News See all
- Suffolk: MPs back Lifesaver Appeal air ambulance campaign
- Bury St Edmunds: Shopper, 71, foiled raid at jewellers, court hears
- Ipswich: Dad claimed £16k in disability cash for footballer son
- Stowmarket: Paint factory celebrates 40th anniversary
- Suffolk: Wissett Wines wins bronze in Decanter World Wine Awards
More politics
- Colchester: Will Quince calls for electoral reform amid delays forming a coalition
- Suffolk: County council poised to spend thousands on training
- Sizewell: N-plant still on track, insists energy firm
- Suffolk Coastal: Controversial Core Strategy is submitted for independent examination
- Update: Prolog warehouse development bid approved
- Suffolk/Cambridgeshire: Fire merger could happen within two years
- Bury St Edmunds: Yellow lines in Nowton Road may be removed
7 comments
Suffolk County Council has totally lost touch with the electorate. People criticise national government for losing touch with the people, but it's happening in Suffolk at county and district level. Whilst the coalition government is bringing forward its localism bill (which assumes that local government is more in touch with local needs and wishes) we have local councils which ride roughshod over the electorate. SCC is driving through its virtual council nonsense without any mandate or evidence that it will save money or deliver quality services (see page 13 of Private Eye of 10 November about SCC's CSD contract with BT and how it's ended up costing SCC far more than planned). In Suffolk Coastal there is the unedifying sight of a council which is desperately rushing to drive through a local development framework in the face of extensive local opposition, apparently ahead of the localism bill becoming law and the council elections in May.
Report this comment
Mousemat
Monday, November 15, 2010
Write most of the Evening Star for them, given the number of "staff reporter" articles. And deal with the silly FOI requests that make up the rest of the "news"paper.
Report this comment
Paul Norton
Sunday, November 14, 2010
I suppose we are meant to be grateful the new spin doctor will be costing us less. But I don't want to be spun into believing that huge job loses and cuts to services are right. So many of our council staff are worried sick about their families future thanks to the policy of Suffolk County Council. Personally, I would welcome a rise in my council tax to keep the staff and services we all rely on.
Report this comment
Working Girl
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Have meetings with each other?
Report this comment
Tim Marchant
Friday, November 12, 2010
Have meetings with each other?
Report this comment
Tim Marchant
Friday, November 12, 2010
Tell you what I will do the job for half the money and the press officers job with 9 staff. What a rediculous waste of public money.
Report this comment
Paul Carr
Friday, November 12, 2010
18 staff! what are they going to do all day?
Report this comment
zaax
Friday, November 12, 2010