City Hall Rich List 2024: 1,146 city hall bosses received over £100,000 last year

Embargoed: 00:01, Monday 18th March 2024

• 1,146 employees of city hall and its subsidiaries received over £100,000 in 2022-23

• Transport for London alone accounted for 772 employees receiving over £100,000 while the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime saw its numbers increase from 80 to 301

• The Mayoral precept has increased by 57 per cent since Sadiq Khan came to power, and is set to rise further
  
  

As Londoners brace for inflation-busting council tax rises, the TaxPayers’ Alliance has revealed that the number of staff employed by city hall and its subsidiaries that receive over £100,000 has surged from 655 in 2018-19 to 1,146 in 2022-23

City hall and its subsidiaries, including Transport for London (TfL) and the Metropolitan Police, are funded through the mayoral precept, which is added on to Londoners’ council tax bills. The precept has increased by 57 per cent during the current mayor’s time in office, from £276 for band D properties in 2016-17 to £434 in 2023-24. In 2024-25 this will rise to £471.

The body with the most employees receiving over £100,000 in remuneration was TfL with 772, up from 518 in 2018-19. TfL also had 18 employees who received over £250,000, including almost £500,000 for the chief programme officer of Crossrail and £261,490 for the chief operating officer of the Elizabeth Line, Howard Smith. Included in Smith's remuneration are bonuses and benefits in kind worth £71,740, the most of anyone on the list. This is despite figures from the Office of Rail and Road revealing the Elizabeth Line had the highest cancellations of any railway line in the four weeks to 19 August.

The number of employees receiving over £100,000 in the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, which includes the Metropolitan Police, increased from 80 to 301 between 2018-19 and 2023-24. Four employees received over £250,000, including Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe, who received £313,366. According to the Office for National Statistics, there was a 21 per cent increase in knife crimes in the year to June 2023.

There are 15 on the mayoral team who received over £100,000, costing a total of £2,174,374. The mayor, Sadiq Khan, received £171,587 in 2022-23, an increase of £21,000, or 14 per cent, compared to 2018-19.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE RESEARCH

Key findings

• In 2022-23, the GLA and its subsidiary bodies employed at least 1,146 people who received over £100,000 in total remuneration. Of these, 143 employees received over £150,000. In 2018-19, 655 employees received over £100,000 of which 155 collected over £150,000.
  
  
• In 2022-23, the body with the highest number of employees with remuneration more than £100,000 was Transport for London with 772. Transport for London also had the highest number of employees receiving more than £150,000, with 84.
  
  
• The highest remunerated employee in 2022-23 was the chief programme officer at Crossrail, Jim Crawford, who received £499,447 in total remuneration. Of this, £306,900 was salary, fees and allowances. A further £191,088 was compensation for loss of office.
  
  
• The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, received £171,587 in total remuneration, with £1,159 consisting of expenses claims. In 2018-19, Mr Khan received £150,644 in total remuneration. This is an increase of almost £21,000 or 14 per cent.
  
  
• Including the mayor of London and statutory deputy mayor, the total remuneration for the mayoral team in 2022-23 was £2,174,374. An average of £144,958 per person.
  
  
• The number of employees at the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime and Group who received total remuneration of over £100,000 has almost quadrupled compared to 2018-19, totalling 301 in 2022-23.
  
  
• Bonuses and benefits in kind totalled £418,274 in 2022-23. The largest went to Howard Smith, chief operating officer for the Elizabeth line, receiving £71,740 in bonuses and benefits in kind.
  
  
• The total compensation for loss of office for senior officers across the GLA and its subsidiaries was over £1,500,000 across ten senior officers. The average loss of office payment was almost £152,000. The largest loss of office payment was to Mark Wild, the chief executive officer of Crossrail, who received £393,777 in loss of office compensation.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE RESEARCH

Elliot Keck, head of campaigns of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:

"City hall is now bursting at the seams with the growing number of officials bringing home the big bucks.

“From transport, to police and the mayor's office, the number of fat cats has surged, all paid for by Londoners who have seen their council tax bills balloon.

“Sadiq Khan should give taxpayers a break and keep a lid on these senior salaries, particularly when services have been so poorly managed.”

TPA spokespeople are available for live and pre-recorded broadcast interviews via 07795 084 113 (no texts)

Elliot Keck
Head of Campaigns, TaxPayers' Alliance
[email protected]
24-hour media hotline: 07795 084 113 (no texts)

Notes to editors:

1. 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.
   
   
2. TaxPayers' Alliance's advisory council.
   
   
3. The TPA at 20 is a series of releases based on previous research produced by the TaxPayers’ Alliance during its 20 year history.
   
   
4. A full breakdown of all the employees receiving over £100,000, broken down by GLA body.