The deputy leader of Westminster Council has caused anger after claiming that a 'basic' first-job salary is in the region of £50,000 to £80,000.
The deputy leader of Westminster Council has caused anger after claiming that a ‘basic’ first-job salary pays in the region of £50,000 to £80,000.
Talking about housing the London, cllr Robert Davis said
“What we really need is affordable housing, not just social housing, for people who are in their first job, have just got a basic, simple job and a salary of £50,000 to £80,000 a year.”
Cllr Davis made the comments during an interview with a PR company that specialises in working with property developers.
In reality, anyone earning over £50,000 would be in the top 10 per cent of earners, and the top 30 per cent in Westminster. The average full-time employee in the UK earns £26,200 according to the latest figures from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, while the average basic graduate salary is between £27,000 – £29,000.
Fellow Westminster councillor David Boothroyd said it showed “the sections of society the council leadership is in touch with”.
“With everyone else, they’re not so much out of touch, as completely cut off,” Mr Boothroyd said.
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82 Responses to “Tory council leader believes ‘basic salary’ is 80k”
Paul
Some of the comments on here are so childish they’re embarrassing. Anyone would think left wing politics is whiter than white. WMD’s anyone?
Anthony Stephen McGrath
thing is it isn’t just the tories – they are ALL like that – it doesn’t matter what gaggle of clowns are in power.. politics is a gravy train for everyone involved in it and everyone is stupid enough to think they can all make a difference and have the ppl’s best interest at heart… Its a chance to dodge taxes, claim all manner of free stuff with taxpayers money and get paid a shedload of money to pretend you care for four years (minimum ‘sentence’)
For every new crazy idea they dream up and is successfully petitioned against theres another one ready to slip in through the back door and turn said crazy idea into policy.
This guy is up there with the best of them… 50k as a starting point hahaahaha!
midgemodge
you’re all just jealous.
Nick
Strange world really – this councillor makes a simple mistake in an interview and everyone piles in. Yet this article has a mistake in the headline, which is written and then checked (I would hope). Moral: Everyone makes mistakes.
Sfish
I worked with Robert Davis fairly regularly during my first job after graduating – I guess I should have shown him my payslip whilst there to bring him back down to earth! Often arrogant and always pompous, this comment comes as no surprise.