Taxpayers’ Alliance hits out at “quangocrat gravy train”
Over 130 bureaucrats sit on more than a single quango board, according to research from the Taxpayers' Alliance, but less than five per cent made declarations of political activity.
In data published today, the lobbying group reported that fifteen individuals sat on more than two quango boards, while board members collectively missed 1,500 meetings over 2014-15.
The most popular board member was Jonathan Baume, who sat on five different quangos in 2014-15, including the civil service commission, the office for nuclear regulation and the criminal cases review commission.
Taxpayers' Alliance chief executive Jonathan Isaby said: “Taxpayers paying for these cushy jobs will want to know what qualifies people to sit on the boards of several different bodies with completely disparate purposes.
“The fact that so many board meetings were missed will also raise questions around these fat cats' sincerity and commitment to these jobs. Hard-pressed families expect their money to pay for essential services, not to be squandered on the quangocrat gravy train."
The lobbying group noted that the figures come in spite of repeated government pledges to cut down on the quasi-autonomous groups, with Francis Maude first promising a “bonfire of quangos” back in 2010.