Quango bosses more equal than others

Having commented ourselves a short while ago that ministerial "transparency" over top public salaries amounted to simply rubbing it in over inequalities in pay, we note that the Telegraph has picked up the same theme.

They report the scandalous situation whereby Britain's highest-paid quango bosses have almost doubled their salaries with six-figure bonuses, special allowances and pension windfalls.

Among the lucky winners is the chief executive of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority who comes out as the country’s highest-paid quango boss with a pay package of more than £520,000, comprising a basic salary of £365,000, a second home allowance of £85,937 and pension payments of £70,810.

Other amounts quoted as being paid out to government agency bosses are staggering given that civil service pay has been frozen and vital services are being cut back across the board on a daily basis.

A cabinet office spokesman however confirmed that the higher echelons of officialdom will remain insulated from the austerity that affects the rest of the public sector. He insisted that "increased transparency in public bodies and the removal of waste are top priorities.” In other words, inequality is OK as long as we know about it.