Fatcats pocketing up to £97k a year in taxpayers’ cash by serving on multiple public bodies
These quangocrats have missed more than 1,500 board meetings
QUANGOCRATS are pocketing up to £97,000 of taxpayers’ cash a year by serving on multiple public bodies, research reveals today.
There were still an incredible 3,369 cushy board positions on offer last year at 380 bodies, with 134 people filling at least two roles.
That is despite a so-called “bonfire” of wasteful and pointless government agencies under the Coalition.
Fifteen fatcats served on more than two, including quango king Jonathan Baume who took home up to £56,000 for his five positions and top-earning quango queen Christine Tacon, who got up to £96,850 for her three posts.
The research by the TaxPayers’ Alliance sparked demands for a fresh cull of generous public sector posts.
And it triggered calls for an end to the “jobs for the boys” culture as former civil servants or other senior public sector figures often land the roles. Chief Executive of the TaxPayers’
Alliance Jonathan Isaby said: “It’s deeply concerning that unaccountable quangos continue to thrive and seem to exist as a network for the public sector elite.”
He added: “Taxpayers paying for these cushy jobs will want to know what qualifies people to sit on the boards of several different bodies with completely disparate purposes.”
The study also found that quangocrats missed more than 1,500 board meetings.
Mr Isaby said that will “also raise questions around these fatcats’ sincerity and commitment to these jobs”.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “This Government has massively reduced the number of public bodies by 290 since 2010, reducing administrative costs by £3billion.”
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