Public health ‘killjoys’ lobbying against junk food and booze receive fatcat pay up to £369,000
The Taxpayers Alliance said Britain’s ten best-paid public health employees are all on wages above £200,000
PUBLIC health “killyjoys” lobbying for crackdowns on junk food and booze are living it up on fat-cat pay – a report claims today.
The Taxpayers Alliance said Britain’s ten best-paid public health employees are all on wages above £200,000.
Two took home more than £300,000 in 2017-2018.
Public Health England alone has 241 staff on more than £100,000 – up 17 per cent on 2014-2015.
The “Nanny State Rich List 2018” comes in a year where officials have stepped up calls for a meat tax – to go with the Government’s Sugar Tax on soft drinks. Lobbyists have also called for a ban on milkshakes over 300 calories and junk food ads.
Paul Cosford, PHE’s director of health protection, got £309,500. Lesley Mountford, director of public health at Stoke City Council trousered £369,579, including a £209,000 “pay off” after her job was scrapped.
In other local authorities, Mike Gogarty, director of public health and wellbeing at Essex County Council got £194,020. Tracy Daszkiewicz at Wiltshire Council received £189,507.
John O’Connell, Taxpayers Alliance chief exec said: “We hear public health lobbyists on an almost daily tirade for more taxes and regulations without a thought spared for the hard pressed families who will struggle to pay for their hectoring ideas.
“Not only do taxpayers have to put up with this patronising nonsense, they are also forced to pay for the enormous remuneration packages of the top killyjoy quangocrats.”
He added: “Instead of allowing these nanny starters to call the shots, the government should stand up for families in this country who should be free to enjoy their lives in peace.”
Public health officials have been slammed for increasing “Nanny State” interventions over the past year. Academics in April said every glass of wine or pint of beer above the recommended daily allowance cuts half an hour from the expected lifespan of a 40 year-old.
An Oxford University report in November said a ‘meat tax’ would cut cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes as well as cancers of the digestive system.
Researchers said a 13 per cent price rise for red meat and 79 per cent hike on sausages and other processed meats would cut deaths by over a fifth.
The Sun Says: Trim the fat
THE Nanny State is getting fatter.
The self-appointed high priests of what we can and can’t eat are raking in extraordinary taxpayer-funded salaries.
It’s no wonder they have few concerns about the impact their campaigns for higher food taxes are having on hard-pressed Brits. This lot barely have to bother to check the receipt.
These preachy fatcats need to be slimmed down to size.
A Local Government Association spokesman said: “Councils are large, complex organisations with sizable budgets and responsibility.
"This includes public health which covers obesity and is considered to be one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century.
“Early intervention and prevention work by councils to tackle child obesity, teenage pregnancy, physical inactivity, sexually transmitted infections and substance misuse, is vital to improve the public’s health, reduce health inequalities and help people live longer, healthier and happier lives. It is important that the right people with the right skills and experience are retained to deliver this work.”
Duncan Selbie, chief executive of Public Health England, said: “We have cut our costs to the taxpayer by one third since 2013.
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"Public health professionals are on the frontline of protecting and improving the nation’s health – from fighting diseases such as Ebola and Monkeypox to tackling preventable disease which costs the NHS billions of pounds every year.
"The overwhelming majority of our staff, including our most senior team, are doctors, nurses, scientists and researchers. Their salaries incorporate merit based NHS National Clinical Excellence Awards.”
XL fans' football club aid
DOCTORS could refer overweight footie fans to a training scheme at their local club, an NHS chief suggests.
Overweight men are coached for 12 weeks under the Football Fans in Training programme.
The scheme is already available at Swindon, Wycombe, Blackpool, Middlesbrough and Charlton after initially running in Scotland.
NHS England chief Simon Stevens said that clubs were community hubs. He added: “Working with them to encourage fans to get fit is a great idea.”
Local commissioners must look at the schemes, which ease the NHS burden, he said.
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