Almost £63 million has been wasted by councils on ‘golden goodbyes’ for high-earning employees since 2022, Scottish Conservative research has revealed.
The annual accounts of councils reveal how much has been spent on exit packages for outgoing employees, with the amount spent on packages worth over £100k increasing from £12.6 million in 2022-23 to £21.9 million in 2024-25, with a combined total of £62.6 million being spent over that period.
North Lanarkshire spent the most of any council (£15.4 million), followed by Glasgow with a £11.3 million spend and Renfrewshire, who spent £7.9 million.
Scottish Conservative shadow finance and local government secretary Craig Hoy MSP said: “Hard-working Scots who’ve been hammered by rising council taxes will be furious that councils have shelled out millions on golden goodbyes.
“Our local services are at breaking point, but instead of fixing the issues that actually matter, council bosses are allowing the bill for public-sector payouts to balloon.
“Taxpayers are sick of SNP- and Labour-run councils spending their money on the wrong priorities while our frontline services are on their knees.”
Notes to editors
Councils have spent £62.6 million on exit packages worth £100k or more since 2022-23. The spend on these exit packages doubled from £12.6 million in 2022-23 to £21.9 million in 2024-25. (Scottish Conservative Research, 3 December 2025, Available on request).
North Lanarkshire spent the most of any council, spending £15.4 million. The second and third highest spenders on exit payments over £100k was Glasgow with a £11.3 million spend and Renfrewshire, who spent £7.9 million. (Scottish Conservative Research, 3 December 2025, Available on request).