Money, money, money...in a People Officer's world

Maurice O'Brien • Published 10 Jun 2010 13:00 2 Comments

See also:

THERE may well be an excellent reason why Alex Allen is paid just over 160,000 big ones a year to be Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee and Professional Head of Intelligence Analysis in the Cabinet Office.

But that word 'Professional' worries me.

There's an old journalistic adage that goes 'if someone's famous you don't need to say so and if they're not famous why say they are'.

As I said, particularly when recalling some recent intelligence stinkers, that word 'Professional' worries me.

Then again, over at the Department for Communities & Local Government, the top and third highest earners would appear to be running in the same lane. Jeremy Beeton (Director General Government Olympic Executive) gets £225,000 while David Goldstone (Director - Finance and Programme Government Olympic Executive) collects a mere £185,000. Do you think they argue over who buys the Hobnobs? At the Department of Health you could buy a few life-saving drug treatments for the £175,000 that the Director of Immunisation pulls, but not as many as you would for the £200,000 trousered by Chief Information Officer Christine Connelly. Does that make you sick?

Meanwhile at HM Revenue & Customs seven lucky devils make at least £150,000. One of whom, Mike Falvey, is apparently worth £175,000+ for being something called the Chief People Officer.

Now they've also got a Chief Finance Officer, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Information officers, so is someone just taking the mike?

Curiously, not one other Government department appears to have a Chief People Officer, at least not on a six-figure screw, but I'm sure the taxman's absolutely certain it's a real job.

And I bet the forces dodging roadside IEDs in Helmand province, while waiting for their helicopters to arrive, think it's hysterical that the Minister of Defence's Chief Operating Officer Defence Equipment and Support, Andrew Tyler, is paid between £200,000 and £204,999.

The MoD, incidentally, boasts the biggest number of high rollers with 22, but also has six part-time, non-executive chairmen of committees or departments pulling in £40,000 each.

Actually that's untrue, the bloke heading the Defence Board and Audit Committee only gets thirty grand but, hey, who's counting?

Now if any of this smacks of sheer, unadulterated envy then damned right it does. But ponder this. Just imagine how much their pensions are going to be costing our near-bankrupt nation for the next couple of decades.

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

Howard Thomas
Unregistered User
Jun 13, 00:43
Report comment

A good way for our new coalition government to save money would be to set salary limits on public paid positions. For example council CEOs capped at perhaps £120,000 and lower ranks in a similar manner. David Cameron has the right idea when he talks about the lowest and highest paid in an organisation being a maximum of 20 times different in salary , but the multiplier ought to be more like 6 times.

Those that feel they couldn't manage on that sort of money would do well to look in the private sector for their future employment where (apparantly) they could earn much more.

Happy hunting!

Recommend? Yes 0 No 0
OBriens fat backside
Unregistered User
Jul 28, 19:29
Report comment

Not that easy to get rid!

Recommend? Yes 0 No 0

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our Opinion archives.

Follow @rdgchronicle