Bonus culture

There have been many attacks by Labour ministers and others on the Banks paying their chiefs large bonuses. Less publicity has been given to the bonuses being paid to leading civil servants. The Mail reports that:

"Cabinet Office mandarins were given almost £1 million in bonuses last year, it has emerged.

A total of 105 payouts totalling £972,500 were given to senior civil servants in 2008 - an average bonus of almost £9,300.

That compared to 123 payments worth £895,000 spent on bonuses in 2007."

Why so much money given as bonuses to Cabinet Office chiefs? Here may lie the explanation (my emphasis):

"According to the Cabinet Office website, the department has "an overarching purpose of making government work better" by supporting the Prime Minister, supporting the Cabinet and strengthening the civil service.

The average salary of a civil servant is £40,000 but permanent secretaries can earn anything up to £200,000.

A spokesperson for the Taxpayers' Alliances said: 'It defies belief that while the economy falters and tens of thousands of people in the private sector have been losing their jobs, the big bonus culture continues as normal in Whitehall.'"

Ah so might they be getting bonuses for supporting Gordon Brown and his Cabinet?

Following Digby Jones' recent comments, I wonder which half of these senior officials should be sacked?