Back in Spring of last year Guido discovered that the art project known as BBC Verify was staffed by an incredible 63 people with combined salary costs of a £3.2 million. And it still managed to confuse hectares for acres in its farm tax analysis…
By December the BBC had managed to shave off two staff from the team, which produces around two stories a day including such zingers as “Five key impacts of Brexit” which fails to mention anything positive about Brexit. Good news, until they tell you that staff costs have risen by £100,000 at the same time…
Now that we’re in the new year Guido can report that Verify has stuck with its 63 staff while paying them even more. Salary costs are now £3.4 million – an increase of £100,000 a month. Crucial funding for Marianna Spring be fooled by more wombat memes…
Former Treasury minister and adviser to Burnham in the Makerfield campaign Lord Jim O’Neill, who has turned down a role in his government, said Burnham’s first statement Commons was:
“The last thing investors wanted to hear… gilt yields have risen by a 0.25% in one day, which is a lot. We’ve not had that since Liz Truss days… If your country is under the focus of ‘can they come up with a sensible fiscal strategy’ on a day when the markets think ‘well no, you’re not showing any sign of it’ you’re going to have a tough day…if it stays like this your mortgage rate is going up.”