The number of quango chiefs earning more than the prime minister has jumped by almost 40 per cent since last year.
More than 50 chief executives earned more than £150,000 in the past year, up from 42 in 2015, despite repeated attempts to enact David Cameron’s pledge of a “bonfire of the quangos” for the 900 he inherited in 2010. There has been an overall drop to 463.
The Public Bodies 2016 report, published yesterday, shows that the highest-paid executive was Simon Kirby, who had a salary of £750,000 before he left his role as chief executive of HS2.
The Cabinet Office says its efforts cut costs by £3 billion in the last parliament but concedes “there is more to do”.
Dawn Austwick, at the Big Lottery Fund, earned about £210,000 in 2016, up from at least £175,000 in 2015. Ian Blatchford, of the Science Museum, reaped £165,000. Hartwig Fischer, of the British Museum, earns £180,000 a year, £12,000 less than his predecessor.