Osborne gives political adviser 42% rise amid public sector pay freeze

Last Updated: December 18, 2015By


Can anybody say anything that is more damning than the figures themselves?

George Osborne has given the adviser responsible for his new image a promotion and a pay rise of more than 40%, and boosted the number of his political aides by three while asking public-sector workers to accept a pay freeze.

Thea Rogers, a close associate of Osborne, received the biggest rise among all the political special advisers across government, an increase of 42% since the figures were released last November, giving her £98,000. She is now his chief of staff.

A former BBC producer who once worked with the corporation’s former political editor Nick Robinson, she is said to have been responsible for Osborne’s Caesar-style haircut and for placing him on the 5:2 diet. A year ago, she acted as a special adviser, handling his image and events.

A year ago Osborne employed three special advisers and had four more political appointees sitting on his council of advisers. Since then, advisers hired by the chancellor include James Chapman, the Daily Mail’s political editor until the election, who is now paid £125,000; and Sue Beeby, who previously worked for Jeremy Hunt and is being paid £73,000 to be part of the Treasury team.

Osborne has three other people employed in his office whose pay levels are not registered. Another special adviser to Osborne, Eleanor Wolfson, is currently on maternity leave, a footnote adds.

The footnote to the data also shows that the chancellor has taken on three other politically employed advisers who sit on the council of economic advisers – Richard Davies, who is paid £98,000; Neil O’Brien, who is paid £93,450; and Jennifer Donne, whose pay is not registered.

The disclosure comes in data that shows the bill for special advisers across the government rose to £9.2m in 2014-15, up from £8.4m the previous financial year.

Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, said: “David Cameron can’t bury the fact that he’s broken a direct promise he made to reduce the cost of politics and curb the number of special advisers in government.”

Source: Osborne gives political adviser 42% rise amid public sector pay freeze | Politics | The Guardian

Join the Vox Political Facebook page.

If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!

Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(
but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:

Donate Button with Credit Cards

Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.

Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:

HWG PrintHWG eBook

The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:

SWAHTprint SWAHTeBook

latest video

news via inbox

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

6 Comments

  1. daijohn December 18, 2015 at 4:40 pm - Reply

    I hear George was booed at the Star Wars premiere and therefore trust these pay rises are performance related?

  2. Rupert Mitchell (@rupert_rrl) December 18, 2015 at 5:20 pm - Reply

    Scandalous is the only adjective that I dare print. It really is time the whole country got together to get rid of this shower.

  3. Michael Broadhurst December 18, 2015 at 6:00 pm - Reply

    its ok for them to throw OUR money around how they like,when ordinary people are forced to use food banks.
    its disgusting and wants stopping.

  4. mohandeer December 18, 2015 at 7:21 pm - Reply

    The disclosure comes in data that shows the bill for special advisers across the government rose to £9.2m in 2014-15, up from £8.4m the previous financial year.
    Don’t forget folks: We’re all in this together. 20 million people can’t afford a hairdresser but we can all afford to pay for Osborne’s advisers and image assistants. After Cameron promised us(there’s that word again) he would reduce the cost of politics and curb the number of special advisers.So a private aircraft and multiple pay rises are REDUCING the cost of politics?

    • stephen brophy December 21, 2015 at 5:05 am - Reply

      George Osborne’s family business avoided tax payments as well as spending our tax monies!

  5. Dez December 18, 2015 at 9:44 pm - Reply

    So he thinks by bunging them more dosh their mooning words will make him even more wonderful to his adoring public or verily prime minister material. Are you really sure they are good value Ossie boy?? For a king without any clothes on he should glance in the mirror sooner rather than later. Hopefully by the time he wakes up his tatty reputation, smug, smarmy image and totally out of touch ways will be in the dust bin
    along with his equally useless hooray mates..

Leave A Comment