Embargoed: 22:30, Sunday 27th April 2025
- TPA’s quango rich list finds that 1,472 quangocrats received over £100,000 in total remuneration (salary, pensions, bonuses, expenses and other payments) in 2023-24.
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Looking at salaries alone, 315 on the list were on more than the prime minister himself.
- Highest paid quangocrat, Alex Mahon, chief executive of Channel 4, took home close to £1 million.
As part of a new major project, Britain’s Quangos Uncovered, the TaxPayers’ Alliance today reveals in a new quango rich list that in 2023-24 there were 1,472 quangocrats with total remuneration over £100,000 and 343 receiving more than £200,000. Total remuneration includes salary, pension contributions, bonuses, expenses and other payments. Looking at salaries alone there were 315 quango staff on a higher salary than the Prime Minister.
The TPA have launched the project to pull back the curtain on the extent to which ministers have yielded power to a network of unelected, largely unaccountable organisations in recent years. This has led to frustration amongst senior politicians at the pace of change, with Labour’s Pat McFadden recently saying “We are taking action to ensure decisions of national importance… are made by those who have been elected to do so.” The TPA are supporting the Labour government’s review of quangos but are warning that the aim should be to scrap unnecessary functions as well as bringing delivery of significant services back under political control.
There were 33 quangos that had 10 or more staff receiving over £100,000 in 2023-24. Homes England had the most receiving over £100,000 at 111, followed by the BBC with 90, NEST with 56 and the Financial Conduct Authority with 45. Alex Mahon, chief executive of Channel 4, had both the highest remuneration, at £993,000 and salary at £619,000. The TPA has previously called on the government to sell Channel 4.
Other highly paid employees in UK quangos include Tom Fussell, chief executive officer of BBC commercial, who received £774,000 in total remuneration and Mark Thurston, the chief executive of HS2 who received total remuneration of £652,569. Tom Fussell’s remuneration included a bonus of £309,000 - the highest of any employee. He was one of 26 quangocrats who received a bonus greater than average earnings in the UK.
Last week the TPA revealed that there were hundreds of individuals sitting on multiple quango boards in 2022-23.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL RESEARCH
Key findings:
- At least 1,472 quango staff received over £100,000 in total remuneration (comprising salary, expenses, benefits, bonuses, compensation for loss of office and pension benefits or contributions) in 2023-24.
- In 2023-24, at least 343 quango staff received more than £200,000 in total remuneration.
- There were 315 quango staff in 2023-24 who received a higher salary, as opposed to total remuneration, than the £172,153 salary entitlement of the prime minister.
- A total of 94 quangos did not provide accounts for 2023-24.
- In 2023-24, the quango with the most staff receiving at least £100,000 in total remuneration was Homes England, which had 111.
- The BBC and National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) had the second and third largest numbers of staff receiving in excess of £100,000 with 90 and 56 respectively.
- A total of 33 quangos had at least 10 staff receiving more than £100,000 in total remuneration.
- Channel 4 had the staff member with the highest salary in 2023-24, with its chief executive, Alex Mahon, receiving £619,000. This is almost four times greater than the prime minister’s salary entitlement.
- The largest loss of office payment was given to the executive director, enforcement, at the Competition and Markets Authority, Michael Grenfell, who received a payment of £157,500 in 2023-24.
- At least 26 quango staff received a bonus greater than average earnings in the UK. Of these, five quango employees received a bonus more than £100,000 in 2023-24.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL RESEARCH
John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:
"Taxpayers will be shocked to hear that there are hundreds of quangocrats heading up bodies they may never have heard taking home massive pay packets the average Brit can only dream of.
“But beyond the healthy remuneration, arguably the bigger problem is that in many areas of government policy these quango bosses reign supreme, with minimal ministerial or parliamentary oversight despite the often highly sensitive and significant nature of what their organisation is responsible for.
“The government may have signalled an intent to get a grip of the quango state,, but as well as restoring political accountability there needs to be serious review of some of the functions they perform.”
TPA spokespeople are available for live and pre-recorded broadcast interviews via 07795 084 113 (no texts)
Media contact:
Elliot Keck
Head of Campaigns, TaxPayers' Alliance
[email protected]
24-hour media hotline: 07795 084 113 (no texts)
Notes to editors:
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Founded in 2004 by Matthew Elliott and Andrew Allum, the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) campaigns to reform taxes and public services, cut waste and speak up for British taxpayers. Find out more at www.taxpayersalliance.com.
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TaxPayers' Alliance's research council.
- Britain’s Quangos Uncovered is a new project by the TPA aiming to lift the lid on the quango-state. It was launched on 22nd April with research revealing that almost 300 individuals sat on multiple quango boards in 2022-23. Find out more here.