There are over 500 jobs in government this week, as you can see from the bar on the right.
Scanning the jobs that councils, quangos and other government departments advertise for has brought us some gems. The Street Football Coordinator in Moray and the blank advert to publicise a climate change manager in Braintree all left us wondering why such waste is going on in our Town Halls.
This week’s runner-up for non-job of the week is a position as an Equality and Diversity advisor at Southend borough council earning £44,715. Topping the bill this as our non job of the week is a position at week comes from London Councils:
“Principal Policy & Project Manager
Starting at £38,417 pa inc.
Temporary contract until August 2010 – planning and transport
London Councils is committed to fighting for more resources for the capital and getting the best possible deal for London’s 33 local authorities and their residents. We lobby government and others, develop policy, and run a range of services designed to make life better for Londoners.
The Mayor is revising his London Plan and Transport Strategy over the next 18 months. We need to ensure that these strategies deliver a vision for London that is supported by London boroughs. Working closely with boroughs, the GLA and TfL, you will lead London Councils work on the London Plan as well as being responsible for other areas of the Infrastructure Team’s policy work. Experience of both transport and planning policy work would be desirable for this senior post."
Quangos have been the talk of the town this week, with TPA staff all over the media calling for a much needed 'bonfire of the Quangos' to help the public finances. London Councils is one such quango.
Funded by subscriptions from London’s councils, it is a taxpayer-funded body. Being taxpayer funded, you have to wonder why it’s lobbying government with your money. It’s like paying a governmental organisation to lobby itself.
We already have the London Development Agency spending taxpayers’ money and ‘providing services’ in London. Then there’s the GLA as well as the Mayor’s office that lobby for resources. TfL look after transport, the Met do policing. Quite why there is a need for another quango to duplicate the work already going on by other authorties (quasi-governmental or not) is beyond reason and therefore it should be the first on the Quango bonfire.
If you spot any ridiculous non-jobs please do send them to us so we can put them on file and consider them for future non-jobs.