Rich List: Over 1,100 City Hall ‘fat cats’ pocket more than £100,000 a year

The number of City Hall staff earning more than £100,000 has soared to over 1,100 so-called ‘fat cats’, according to a new 2024 rich list. 

A total of 1,146 employees, including at Transport for London (TfL) and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime – which scrutinises the work of the Met Police – made the grade in 2022 to 2023.

This is up almost 75 per cent, from the 655 who earned above this level in 2018 to 2019, according to new research by the Taxpayers’ Alliance (TPA).

Political opponents dubbed the findings “cronyism” and “one big gravy train”.

Elliot Keck, TPA head of campaigns, said the number of “fat cats has surged” while Londoners “have seen their council tax bills balloon”.

Mayor Sadiq Khan’s own £171,587 remuneration package – including £1,159 in expenses and £18,260 in pension contributions – puts him below the top 100 best paid, at 104th place.

A spokesperson for Khan told City A.M.: “As mayor of one of the largest cities in the world, Sadiq makes no apology for offering competitive salaries to attract the experienced staff needed to help him deliver on the issues that matter most to Londoners.”

Topping the highest-paid list is Jim Crawford, chief programme officer at Crossrail, who secured £499,447 for his services that year, before leaving TfL in January 2023.

Other highly-paid staff included Mark Wild, Crossrail CEO, on £468,875, before departing in May last year; TfL commissioner Andy Lord on £363,680; and TfL chief capital officer Stuart Harvey, who received £337,846.

While Chris Binns received £316,055 from Crossrail including a retention payment before leaving in December 2022; TfL chief finance officer Rachel McLean secured £347,713 also including a retention payment; and TfL chief procurement officer Jonathan Patrick was paid £304,454, before leaving in November 2022.

The top 10 was rounded out by three ‘undisclosed’ persons, all listed as TfL employees, who were paid £482,500, £292,500, and £267,500 respectively.

“City Hall is now bursting at the seams with the growing number of officials bringing home the big bucks,” Keck added.

“Khan should give taxpayers a break and keep a lid on these senior salaries, particularly when services have been so poorly managed.”

Conservative mayoral candidate Susan Hall said: “Under Khan, City Hall has turned into one big gravy train, with hundreds of staff receiving salaries greater than the top four per cent of earners in the country.

“Many of the staff directly responsible for bringing in the ULEZ expansion are earning over £100,000, paid for by the poorest Londoners through his £12.50 daily tax.”

She added: “Khan won’t listen to Londoners, but I am listening. 

“Under my mayoralty, City Hall will be leaner and focused on serving Londoners, not wasting money or taxing the poorest through the ULEZ expansion.”

While Liberal Democrat hopeful Rob Blackie said high salaries were “reasonable” if people were “doing a good job” but added: “Since Khan became mayor, the police are catching rapists half as often as they did, and the tube keeps on breaking down.

“The problem is he hands out jobs to people who are loyal, rather than being effective. It should be no surprise that we have problems when cronyism trumps competence.”

The mayor’s spokesperson said: “The mayor wants to ensure London’s public transport system and reformed police service are the very best in the world, and this means attracting the very best talent and expertise.

“He continues to deliver for Londoners: providing free school meals for all state primary school children, building a record number of council homes, cracking down on crime, and making public transport better and more affordable for millions of Londoners, in addition to world-leading action to tackle the climate crisis and air pollution.”