Private Eye: Thatch Roofs
June 29th, 2010
Some time ago, earlier this year while I was doing some internet research about Hammersmith and Fulham I came across a table showing the salaries of the Chief Executives of Housing Associations. They are substantial. A few weeks ago on one of my many architectural trips into the capital I met a couple on the train, quite posh, retired who were about to dispose of a copy of that weeks Private Eye. Understanding it was headed for the bin I said “would you mind if I read it instead please?” to which they agreed and on p.3 I found this article.
Ministers were quick to reveal that 50 housing associations pay their chief executives more than the prime minister. But they may be a bit slower to do anything about it.
Associations are classed as private sector organisations despite receiving billions of pounds in development grants and housing benefit payments from the taxpayer. That enables them to raise billions more in private finance to build homes without any impact on public borrowing, and to style themselves as independent businesses that have to pay the going rate to attract and retain the best people.
Who is to blame for this profligate public-private regime? Er, that well-known socialist Margaret Thatcher, of course, the policies having been introduced by the Conservatives in the 1980s before being endorsed by New Labour in 1997. The changes have seen housing associations take over 1m council homes since 1988.
Any government interference that went beyond naming and shaming would add to the risk of associations being reclassified as part of the public sector. So salary packages of up to £391,000 a year seem set to stay unless ministers want them to add to the soaring public deficit.
Should you wish to know what those salaries are then following the two links below:-
Inside Housing have taken the opportunity to remove some articles without acknowledging the fact, one of them was called:-
A place in the sun 25/09/2009
Bumper bonuses and pay packets pushing £400,000 suggest that when it comes to their wage slips, many housing association chief executives are oblivious to recession’s chill. Philippa Ward reveals the results of Inside Housing’s exclusive chief executive salary survey.
See the full findings of the survey
Original link below
<a href=”https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/Attachments.aspx?attype=T&storycode=6506506&atcode=9666″><cite>See the full findings of the survey</cite></a>Not everyone seems to have heard that times are tough. Despite the recession, some housing association chief executives continue to enjoy bumper pay rises. In fact, Inside Housing’s exclusive annual salary survey reveals a 7 per cent pay rise across the sector, with the highest paid boss pushing the £400,000 mark. At this rate of inflation, the sector will get its first million-pound pay packet in 2020.
and so on …
but you’ll struggle to find it now. If you do find it please drop me a line and I’ll re-link it here. I retrieved it from Google cache but too late for the salary table which was fortunately extensively reported at the time in other publications.
The article from Inside Housing and the Guardian
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/home/home/paying-the-price2-19993
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/comment/comment/chief-executives-salaries-a-disgrace-12678
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/story.aspx?storycode=6506506
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/jun/02/housing-association-bosses-david-cameron
The salary table (has been removed)
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/Attachments.aspx?attype=T&storycode=6506506&atcode=9666