THE opposition Labour group at Worcestershire County Council has called for the chief executive's role to be axed - saying it pays "more than the Prime Minister".

Its group leader Councillor Peter McDonald has also suggested all roles paying six-figure salaries should be reviewed as part of a shake-up at County Hall.

His stance came under fire during a full council meeting today, where the party failed in a bid to turn the authority into a so-called 'Co-operative council'.

Although the exact meaning of Co-operative style councils are unclear and vary from one town hall to the other, it typically includes a resistance to private sector influence and better pay for the worse-off.

Councillor Peter McDonald, who has been to Labour-run Oldham Council recently to see how it works there, put forward a motion at today's meeting suggesting County Hall should work towards "a new structure incorporating Co-operative values and principles".

But he used the debate to take a swipe at chief executive Clare Marchant's pay, resulting in criticism from Conservatives.

Ms Marchant took home £155,523 in her basic salary last year, compared to the Prime Minister's pay of £143,462.

He told the chamber he also wanted the Living Wage paid to all staff - something the Tories have rejected twice in the last two years - and "review" the money handed to senior directors.

Cllr McDonald said: "This motion is a vote against profiteers who seek to take over our services and make as much profit as possible, whether it be through cuts or sackings.

"There is a need for this council to have a more ethical approach to the way it operates rather than wash its hands - there is a hard-headed case for bottom-up decision making."

He said the council should force all suppliers to state how many people they employ when bidding for work, adding that he wanted to "remove the post of the chief executive, which pays more than the Prime Minister".

Lib Dem group leader Cllr Liz Tucker called it "absolute baloney", saying she was prepared to support the motion until the Labour leader mentioned the chief executive.

Conservative Cllr Andy Roberts said it was the type of language that should be left in "smoke filled rooms".

Cllr John Campion, a fellow Tory, added: "Those people watching at home may think that saying things like this to people who can't fight back is the actions of a bully.

"This chief executive is paid less than the previous one, it's not true to say the salary is going up.

"I'm fed up of him attacking our most senior officer when she can't speak back."

Lib Dem Cllr Fran Oborski said: “I came to this meeting expecting to feel that I wanted to vote for this motion, which is fairly innocuous but pro-democracy.

“But Cllr McDonald has pulled the same rabbit out the hat that he does every time, he’s come out with something I can’t possibly support.”

Several other Labour councillors took a different tact to the leader, suggesting the motion was about investigating fresh ways in which the council can serve the public better, rather than scrapping top jobs.

Cllr Marc Bayliss, for the Conservatives, pointed out that Oldham Council was making cuts of £20 million this year and getting rid of 65 jobs, and told the chamber that particular authority also relies on significant private sector help.

“What he’s come up with is a classic Stalinist approach which refuses to use the private sector, refuses to do anything that’s not extremely left wing,” he said.

Cllr McDonald responded to the criticism by saying councillors were only voting on the motion, which did not specifically mention the chief executive role, and accused the Tories of “lacking vision”.

The motion was voted down 19-26.

When previous chief executive Trish Haines stepped down at County Hall the Labour group leader tried to get the position scrapped then, saying the responsibilities could be spread among other directors.