In a world where so many things are uncertain, it is good to know that some things can be relied upon. And it’s heart warming to know that what can be relied upon is at the heart of the Great British Establishment. Now doesn’t that just make you proud to be British?
Well, it shouldn’t because what I’m talking about is, that despite the recession, despite job losses, despite pay freezes and general melt down which the English Justice Secretary warns us is going to hit home this year, the people in Whitehall got themselves bonuses which rose by 5%...well above the official rate of inflation.
More than £136 million was paid out to Whitehall staff with some senior managers pocketing £50,000.
According to the Telegraph:
The highest-spending department was the MoD, £42.7 million, while the DWP paid £27.6 million. HMRC spent £13.4 million on bonuses, and DfT set aside £12.4 million. The FCO spent £8.5 million and the Home Office spent £7.6 million. The highest individual payouts (£49,900) went to staff at the MoD and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The next biggest individual bonus payment (£42,134) went to staff at the Department for International Development (DfID). The biggest Home Office bonus was £28,000 and several other departments, including the FCO, handed out lump sums of £15,000.
The average figure for inflation in 2009-10 was 2.25%, while Whitehall bonuses rose by 5.3%.
What makes it even funnier is that leading the protests about it were MPs who are not shy about taking pay rises while the rest of us go without. They took £1,000 each of a rise last year, and this year are set to take a 1% rise, which is, admittedly less than inflation, but at a time when people are
having their pay frozen or reduced, a bit of leading from the front would be welcome. After all, they shouldn’t be broke. £66,000 is hardly a pittance for a job that requires no qualification and no training period. And most of them supplement that with directorships.
Gordon Brown’s government is quite rightly getting the blame for this outrageous waste of public money, it having happened in a year when he was prime minister.
Why people in totally secure jobs at or towards the top of the Civil Service, with their gold plated pensions, guaranteed honours and six figure salaries deserve bonuses in the region of £50,000 is beyond me.
It hasn’t gone without note that the MoD has not only the highest spend but the most expensive executives, which is a bit of a joke considering the complete cock up they have made of purchasing, logistics and conduct of a war. The DWP are second at a time when the dole queue has nearly doubled, so well done them. HMRC is in total melt down because of staff shortages, computer foul ups and record low morale, considering several million people have been paying the wrong tax. And the Home Office never has been, and probably never will be, fit for anything, never mind purpose.
So if they roll out the old chestnut that they could get better in the private sector, then we should tell them to go and try it. On the above records, and never having their accounts signed off, I should think they’d all be engaged by the DWP in a year’s time...
...signing on.
Well, it shouldn’t because what I’m talking about is, that despite the recession, despite job losses, despite pay freezes and general melt down which the English Justice Secretary warns us is going to hit home this year, the people in Whitehall got themselves bonuses which rose by 5%...well above the official rate of inflation.
More than £136 million was paid out to Whitehall staff with some senior managers pocketing £50,000.
According to the Telegraph:
The highest-spending department was the MoD, £42.7 million, while the DWP paid £27.6 million. HMRC spent £13.4 million on bonuses, and DfT set aside £12.4 million. The FCO spent £8.5 million and the Home Office spent £7.6 million. The highest individual payouts (£49,900) went to staff at the MoD and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The next biggest individual bonus payment (£42,134) went to staff at the Department for International Development (DfID). The biggest Home Office bonus was £28,000 and several other departments, including the FCO, handed out lump sums of £15,000.
The average figure for inflation in 2009-10 was 2.25%, while Whitehall bonuses rose by 5.3%.
What makes it even funnier is that leading the protests about it were MPs who are not shy about taking pay rises while the rest of us go without. They took £1,000 each of a rise last year, and this year are set to take a 1% rise, which is, admittedly less than inflation, but at a time when people are
having their pay frozen or reduced, a bit of leading from the front would be welcome. After all, they shouldn’t be broke. £66,000 is hardly a pittance for a job that requires no qualification and no training period. And most of them supplement that with directorships.Gordon Brown’s government is quite rightly getting the blame for this outrageous waste of public money, it having happened in a year when he was prime minister.
Why people in totally secure jobs at or towards the top of the Civil Service, with their gold plated pensions, guaranteed honours and six figure salaries deserve bonuses in the region of £50,000 is beyond me.
It hasn’t gone without note that the MoD has not only the highest spend but the most expensive executives, which is a bit of a joke considering the complete cock up they have made of purchasing, logistics and conduct of a war. The DWP are second at a time when the dole queue has nearly doubled, so well done them. HMRC is in total melt down because of staff shortages, computer foul ups and record low morale, considering several million people have been paying the wrong tax. And the Home Office never has been, and probably never will be, fit for anything, never mind purpose.
So if they roll out the old chestnut that they could get better in the private sector, then we should tell them to go and try it. On the above records, and never having their accounts signed off, I should think they’d all be engaged by the DWP in a year’s time...
...signing on.
Monies Our Department
ReplyDeleteMilitary covenant: what military covenant?
Utterly shameful CH.
ReplyDeleteTalk of the tail wagging the dog. It might help us getting out of that stupid war in Afghanistan and ditching Trident.
ReplyDeleteI hate the way this county does stuff like this. It makes me so ashamed to be something to do with it, even if it was only being born here. How could they do this to those blokes? They should let them qualify; otherwise they will have worked for nothing since they started their training. What a set of unfeeling, unthinking bastards we have in the MoD. How does this fit in with THEM taking bonuses of £50,000.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the swearing but I'm so ANGRY.
These lads only need a few more months and they are pilots. How can they do this?
Cut something else. MPs’ salary increases, lords’ allowances, some of the top heavy management, cut the protection for junior members of the royal family, get rid of the royal train; scrap some of the entertainment for the Olympics.... John Bercow’s entourage. Whatever. There must be a thousand things they could cut for a few months to let these kids qualify.
One day we may need these guys. (That is if we don’t need them now in Afghanistan.)
Yes, of course, seeing that France is now America’s best mate and Cameron has been pushed to one side, we can pull out of Afghanistan. I mean if you are out of favour Dave, you might as well profit from not having to creep all the time to the big chief in the Whitehouse..