Alternative Employment?

We’ll ignore the report this morning that Shahid Malik, the Communities Minister, allegedly failed to tell the whole truth about his expenses to the inquiry that cleared him of breaking ministerial rules over his rental arrangements and that he is now to be investigated once again. I’d only comment that the report reinforces my view that in days past, long past, ministers and MPs served the people instead of themselves.

I’ll turn instead to the latest antics of the BBC, that bastion of political correctness funded by us, the taxpayers; a fact that often seems to escape those in charge of it.

We hear this morning that the BBC are planning to cut the salaries given to their top earners though, so far, they are only applying these cuts to the ‘talent’. At first glance, one wouldn’t have thought that cutting the pay of performers would achieve a great deal and that more attention ought to be paid to the senior ranks of the BBC itself. But, I suppose, it’s a start.

What is interesting from the estimates in today’s report is that, among others, Jonathan Ross gets £18 million over three years, Graham Norton is paid £2.5 million a year, Jeremy Clarkson £2 million, Terry Wogan £800,000 a year, Bruce Forsyth £900,000 and Chris Evans £540,000. Cor! These rates are better than those of MPs and for a lot less work!

I have no time at all for Jonathan Woss, Graham Norton or Chris Evans and cannot understand why they should command such high salaries. I can’t see anything ‘entertaining’ about them at all. I would rather see their contracts lapse and let them take their chances with the commercial companies who, maybe, might look first at their own budgets before taking them on. As for Jeremy Clarkson, I would remove him from television altogether for his shows merely advocate and encourage fast and risky driving in an environment which is already overcrowded with cars and thoughtless drivers.

Of those mentioned above, I wouldn’t begrudge a penny to Terry Wogan or Bruce Forsyth and believe they actually earn their salaries. Both are entertaining in the full sense of the word, and Terry Wogan especially is seen as a ‘friend’ to the millions of people who tune in to his radio programme every day and listen to his gentle banter.

As for the rest, if some accountant comes along to cut their salaries they might consider alternative employment as an MP or even as a minister!