Stop forcing people on to prepayment meters, UK minister urges suppliers
GuardianNov 30, 2022
The Facts
According to an analysis from the TaxPayers' Alliance, the number of civil servants in the UK earning more than £100K has increased 88% since 2016 — growing from 1,090 to 2,050 — while 195 earn more than £150K per year.
Since the Brexit vote, the number of UK civil servants has grown by more than 100K, bringing Whitehall's salary bill to £17B. The payroll is reportedly continuing to rise, despite government promises to cut unnecessary staff.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
Despite promises from the UK government to cut down the absurd number of Whitehall employees, the amount of excess civil servants still continues to grow, along with their pay. There is no justification for over 100K extra bureaucrats and for bloating the salary budget to $17B. UK taxpayers are having their hard-earned money wasted.
Pro-establishment narrative
The UK government is doing its best to reduce Whitehall's bloated staff, and the Cabinet Office is leading the way. While it should have never reached this point, significant issues like Brexit and COVID necessitated adding excess jobs to Whitehall's payroll. However, the government will keep its promise to reduce the number of civil servants and save tax dollars.