Nice work if you can get it. Labour’s newly appointed “value for money” tsar will pocket the equivalent of a £247,000 annual salary, the government has disclosed, significantly more than the prime minister’s pay and working out at £950-a-day for the duration of his employ.
David Goldstone CBE will take up the position of chairman of the new Office for Value for Money, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in her Budget.
The Standard reports she said the career accountant would “help us realise the benefits from every pound of public spending.”
He will be in post for a year and is responsible for providing advice to the Chancellor and Chief Secretary to the Treasury to save money by reforming systems and improving policy outcomes.
Asked if £950-a day pay for the work is “very good value” for money for the taxpayer, Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Treasury said: “It is yes.
“And actually, one of the things that we’ve inherited from the last government was a bit of an excessive rate of daily rates for advisors to external advisors to government.
“This is very good value compared to some of the roles that we’ve inherited. And the office of value for money is led by David [Goldstone], who has a lot of experience working on big infrastructure projects and big delivery projects, but is supported by a group of talented officials who are already employed by the Treasury.”
The role will be paid at a day rate of £950 and Goldstone, who will not be an employee of the Treasury, is expected to work a monthly average of one day a week.
He has previously been in charge of money drains including the restoration of Parliament and the London 2012 Olympics – and sits on the board of HS2 – as the Daily Mail reports.
