I need to clarify how we introduced you the story in regards to the wage of the prime minister’s chief of workers, why we did, and why it issues.
On Sunday, I used to be approached with confidential data by a authorities insider.
That data was Sue Grey’s new wage, £170,000 a yr, and a deep sense of anger about her pay, her affect and a notion others in authorities had been badly handled and underpaid.
As a wage, £170,000 is many instances greater than the nationwide common, however significantly lower than loads of folks, some within the public sector and plenty of within the non-public sector, would earn ready of equal seniority.
Like many individuals within the public sector, her wage will in time be printed anyway.
And full disclosure – mine is just too.
However this story, at its crux, will not be about her wage per se.
It’s in regards to the ranges of upset and anger – honest or in any other case – about her and her function on the high of presidency.
That’s what motivated the one who tipped me off – at appreciable skilled threat – to inform me what I’m now telling you.
And I do know from different conversations I’ve had – and members of our BBC group have had – that this particular person is way from alone.
And that tells you one thing in regards to the fractious relationships amongst some on the high of presidency, lower than three months after Labour gained the election.
And that issues.
I used to be first tipped off on the weekend and I had not gone searching for this data, it discovered me.
My supply selected to inform the BBC, understanding that if we may corroborate and confirm the data – and a wider sense of anger – the vary of our programmes on tv and radio and information articles right here on-line would take the information to a large viewers.
Our group, led by me, chief political correspondent Henry Zeffman and others, sought to confirm and corroborate what I had been informed.
As journalists, we now have to sceptical about the place data is coming from, its accuracy and why we’re being informed it – and search to elucidate to you what we all know and have no idea, and the motivations of these telling us stuff.
And we must always at all times calibrate the breadth and depth of – on this occasion – anger and frustration and put it in context.
Over just a few days, we established from different, unbiased sources that what I had been informed was correct.
Crucially, it was additionally very a lot obvious our supply was removed from alone of their sense of grievance about Ms Grey.
After I spoke to a number of senior figures in authorities with the data we had pulled collectively, they didn’t dispute the central tenets of our story.
We had been additionally in a position to convey you the broader context of salaries amongst authorities workers and the way this authorities’s strategy to it’s totally different from the governments that went earlier than.
There are a lot in authorities now who’re indignant and upset that we now have reported this and really feel it’s deeply unfair to Ms Grey.
She is, in spite of everything, a determine with out her personal public platform, she can’t come out and discuss to me in entrance of a digicam, as a politician would possibly.
Her allies really feel there’s a nasty and vindictive marketing campaign from some to discredit her – and others fear deeply tales like this might put folks off contemplating a job in authorities out of concern their title could possibly be kicked round in public.
However the central reality right here is there’s a row on the high of a really new authorities – and it’s important I inform you about that.
It’s my job to attempt to convey you as clear a way as I can of what’s actually occurring on the coronary heart of presidency, warts and all.
And that’s what I – and our wider group – have tried to do right here.
