The revelation that council Chief Exec, Nicola “LADY GAGA” Yates earned £18k in wages out of the Bristol 2015 Ltd company at the rate of £60 an hour may prove to be a triple whammy of bad news for the greedy public money-grabbing boss.

Not only is there understandable outrage that Gaga scooped herself an extra £18k of public money while already taking something between £160k and £193k from the public purse every year anyway. It also appears that her contract of employment specifically prevents her from doing any other job or retaining the earnings.

Gaga’s contractual obligations are contained in the Joint Negotiating Committee for Local Authority Chief Executives Conditions of Service Handbook. And here’s what it says

3. WHOLE-TIME SERVICE

The chief executive shall devote his or her whole-time service to the work of the council and shall not engage in any other business or take up any other additional appointment without the express consent of the council. He or she shall not subordinate his or her duty as chief executive to his or her private interests or put himself or herself in a position where his or her duty and private interests conflict.

In other words, Gaga should not take on any other employment without the “express consent” of councillors. Where is that consent? It also means if she does take on any other employment it should not conflict with her role as Chief Exec of the council.

For example, she should not be overlooking the Local Government Transparency Code on behalf of Bristol 2015 Ltd, who privately employ her, as this conflicts with her duty as a the chief executive to uphold this code. Oh dear.

But there’s more. Her contract also states:

8. INCLUSIVE SALARIES

Salaries shall be deemed to be inclusive, and all other fees and emoluments, unless they are covered by Paragraph 9 (returning officer, etc.) or the authority expressly agrees that they shall be retainedby the officer, shall be paid by the officer into the council’s accounts.

In other words, any extra salary payable to Gaga for any other work should be paid to the council not to her. Unless “the authority expressly agrees”. Where is that agreement with councillors? Otherwise Gaga owes us £18k!

That’s at least two breaches, then, of Gaga’s contract. Looks like it’s time for some disciplinary action …