Mayor’s aides set for £2.2m ‘golden goodbyes’ when he quits City Hall
BORIS Johnson’s closest aides could share £2.2 million in “golden goodbyes” when the Mayor and his team leave City Hall next year.
The revelation triggered accusations of hypocrisy from Labour, as Mr Johnson criticised similar pay-offs to Ken Livingstone’s top team back in 2008. Mr Johnson said at the time he was “dismayed” to be forced to make £1.6 million in payments to eight of his Labour predecessor’s key advisers.
But now Mr Johnson’s own political appointees could receive up to £200,000 each if they leave with him at the end of his term, though the exact sums are uncertain as they have been in their posts for varying periods and some are part - time positions.
Mr Johnson would have to sign off any payments, but his record suggests that he will. He paid out more than £300,000 to senior staff who left his team after his 2012 mayoral victory.
A Freedom of Information request by Labour’s Sadiq Khan confirms 12 current aides are entitled to severance payments as they have the same redundancy rights as permanent employees, even though they are on fixed-term four-year contracts.
The rules were changed by Mr Living- stone before he lost the 2008 election and Mr Johnson has done nothing to reverse them during his seven years in power.
The pay-offs are calculated on years of service and are high because the average wage of the Mayor’s full-time senior advisers is £128,544 a year, among the most generous in local government.
Shadow London minister Mr Khan said: “It is gross hypocrisy from Boris Johnson to even contemplate these huge pay-outs after being so critical of Ken Livingstone for exactly the same thing.”
Those who would be entitled include deputy mayor for policing Stephen Greenhalgh, who hopes to replace Mr Johnson as mayor.
Several of Mr Johnson’s top team are expected to join him at Westminster if he ends up in a senior role including chief-of-staff Sir Edward Lister, economic adviser Gerard Lyons and director of communications Will Walden. The Mayor’s advisers for housing, transport, arts and the environment could qualify for pay-offs along with Olympics legacy adviser Neil Coleman, who is a former Livingstone aide.
Part-time cycling tsar Andrew Gilligan, the former Standard journalist who exposed the pay- offs to Ken Livingstone’s team, could also receive a payment.
Mr Johnson will personally receive £71,955 in re-settlement grants when he leaves City Hall. Mr Livingstone got £68,000 when he left office in 2008.
Deput y mayor Vic toria Borwick, who hopes to be elected as MP in the safe Tory seat of Kensing ton, will receive a deferred payment of atleast £27,500.
A spokesman for the Mayor declined to comment.