A leading figure in Dudley’s Reform UK group launched a ferocious attack against council spending on diversity and inclusion officers.

Former Conservative MP Marco Longhi turned his fire on the Tory-controlled Dudley Council, claiming questions should be asked about whether council tax cash should be spent on jobs like those. 

Mr Longhi, who switched to Reform after losing his seat at the last general election, highlighted the role of assistant director of people and inclusion which he claimed has a salary of £92,000 and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) manager which is paid £51,500 per year. He said: “Let’s be honest. Most people don’t even know what these job titles mean. 

“While bins are being missed, roads are full of potholes, and public services are stretched, this kind of spending raises serious questions.” 

Dudley Council confirmed the assistant director’s role, which they say has a salary of £83,000, covers a wide range of duties including workforce planning, recruitment, payroll, organisational redesign, induction and negotiations with trade unions as well as EDI. 

The EDI manager role, which has a salary of £52,000 according to the council, is currently vacant. Mr Longhi added: “I’m all for fairness and treating people with respect, but we’ve got to start putting basic services first. “A Reform council will put people first, not political correctness and woke ideologies.” 

Leader of the Dudley Council, Cllr Patrick Harley, said: “Mr Longhi seems a very frustrated former MP.

“This authority has absolutely bucked the trend nationally and now has a settled five-year financial plan.

“Unlike other neighbouring councils, Dudley no longer must make stringent cuts to services and can now concentrate on giving the people of Dudley a very streamlined and efficiently run council that doesn’t do woke.

“The post he refers to was created many years ago, is currently vacant, with no plans for it to be filled and in the subsequent restructuring, that post will be deleted.” 

Other political leaders at the authority have also been having their say in the woke jobs debate. Cllr Adam Aston, leader of Dudley’s Labour group, said: “Prohibiting discrimination and inclusive work places are not ‘woke’, they are a good thing and proven to produce higher productivity. 

“I understand such roles help to keep any organisation on the right side of the law and out of court

."The Public Sector Equality Duty came into force under the Conservative government legally requiring public bodies to publish information demonstrating their compliance and set equality objectives … Mr Longhi was a Conservative MP.” 

Cllr Pete Lowe, leader of the Dudley Independent Group, which is the third largest political group on the council, said: “It demonstrates the lack of knowledge and understanding that Reform have on the workings of local government that they think the deletion of a couple of high paid posts will lead to potholes being filled and improved public services.

“The director of people, as well as the officer of inclusion ensures that legislation is followed and the council is compliant with the Equality Act.

“It demonstrates clearly that they are a Westminster party using the people of Dudley for their attempts to amend and override the Equality Act which the council has no influence over.” 

Cllr Ryan Priest, Dudley Lib Dem leader, dismissed Reform’s policies as ‘loony’ and added: “We all know that the Conservatives’ record on pothole repairs is as holey as the roads, but with two members of EDI staff making up just 0.04 percent of Dudley’s total budget, former Conservative MP Marco Longhi is arguing over pennies.”