HS2 Bosses To Be Scandalously Paid More Than The PM

I think that overall this government has done a very good job when it comes to infrastructure. More money is being invested into the roads and railways than under the last Government and this is all done despite a cut to the Department of Transport's budget. Network Rail has certainly done a good job of Nottingham train station.

The one big blemish to this good record has been HS2. Spending £42.6 billion plus contingency* on a railway with no business case is very stupid, and we're the ones paying for it. I've made my views on HS2 beforehand consistently clear, I don't think it should happen.

But now that the legislation has been passed and it is 99% likely to take place, what tax payers want is for HS2 to have the lowest costs possible. This has been somewhat shattered today with the plan to pay 30 bosses on the HS2 project more than the Prime Minister.

No one should get paid more than Dave when working for the Government.

Who thought that was a good idea? The PM has the toughest job in the nation and so rightly the Government has a policy of dissuading departments and QANGOs from paying any more than Dave earns, which is £140,000 per year. In a time of austerity I thought this would also be crucial let alone the necessity for high scrutiny of HS2's costings.

Patrick McCloughin after a hard days work at the Department of Transport.

What baffles me most is that the Transport Secretary has come out and said the salaries, which will cost several millions of pounds, "fell within the budget we've set." Yes this is true, but paying people vast amounts is a making it a virtual certainty that HS2 will run over budget. Who will then get the blame for that Mr McCoughlin? Thank the Lord the Treasury has to give approval to these monster salaries. Hopefully George Osborne, Nicky Morgan and co. have the sense to say no to this major pay out.

The sensible squad.

*Bare in mind independent organisations and the Treasury think it will cost around £80 billion.