Mat Taylor, executive director and chief finance officer of Fenland District Council, in Cambridgeshire, has decided to leave his six-figure salary in the UK in order to migrate to Australia with his family.

However,  the 44-year-old has come under fire from the Taxpayers’ Alliance for accepting a salary of £20,000 for one day’s work per week over the next twelve months to manage Fenland’s £18 million budget, which he will do via video link and email.

Critics have condemned the move, stating that whilst ordinary families are struggling to make ends meet, executives are enjoying the good life in warmer climes. However, Geoff Harper, Conservative councillor for Doddington, claimed the authority did not want to lose Mr. Taylor’s expertise.

“The council is confident it will work for both us and Mat,” he Mr Harper. “We are the first local authority in the country to fully utilise modern technology to deliver a highly cost effective solution. Retaining Mat's services is much more cost-efficient than bringing in an interim finance director.”

Mr. Taylor will continue to manage all of Fenland’s financial and budgetary matters from Adelaide until a replacement is found next year. The rest of his job will be delegated to various other members of staff.

Council chief executive Sarah Claxton claimed Mr. Tailors “excellent finance management” played a pivotal role in turning round the council’s finance, stating that the only other option only have been to pay an interim manager £800 per day until a replacement was found.