Why finding out about Sue Gray’s salary really matters

I wish to clarify how we introduced you the story in regards to the wage of the prime minister’s chief of employees, why we did, and why it issues.

On Sunday, I used to be approached with confidential info by a authorities insider.

That info was Sue Grey’s new wage, £170,000 a 12 months, and a deep sense of anger about her pay, her affect and a notion others in authorities have been badly handled and underpaid.

As a wage, £170,000 is many instances larger 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 able of equal seniority.

Like many individuals within the public sector, her wage will in time be printed anyway.

And full disclosure – mine is simply too.

However this story, at its crux, is just not 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 danger – to inform me what I’m now telling you.

And I do know from different conversations I’ve had – and members of our BBC crew have had – that this individual is much 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 received the election.

And that issues.

I used to be first tipped off on the weekend and I had not gone searching for this info, it discovered me.

My supply selected to inform the BBC, understanding that if we might corroborate and confirm the knowledge – 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 crew, led by me, chief political correspondent Henry Zeffman and others, sought to confirm and corroborate what I had been advised.

As journalists, we have now to be sceptical about the place info is coming from, its accuracy and why we’re being advised it – and search to clarify to you what we all know and have no idea, and the motivations of these telling us stuff.

And we should always at all times calibrate the breadth and depth of – on this occasion – anger and frustration and put it in context.

Over a number of days, we established from different, impartial sources that what I had been advised was correct.

Crucially, it was additionally very a lot obvious our supply was removed from alone of their sense of grievance about Ms Grey.

Once I spoke to a number of senior figures in authorities with the knowledge we had pulled collectively, they didn’t dispute the central tenets of our story.

We have been additionally capable of deliver you the broader context of salaries amongst authorities employees and the way this authorities’s method 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 have now 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 digital camera, as a politician may.

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 identify may very well be kicked round in public.

However the central fact 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 deliver you as clear a way as I can of what’s actually happening on the coronary heart of presidency, warts and all.

And that’s what I – and our wider crew – have tried to do right here.