Corbyn’s top aides set to receive huge pay rises

JEREMY CORBYN’S closest aides have been handed pay rises of up to 26 per cent, just days after senior Labour front benchers attacked the “fat cat salaries” of senior bosses and executives.

Parliamentary records show that the Labour leader’s chief of staff and head of policy are among those to receive bumper salary increases, well above the 5 per cent rise Mr Corbyn has backed for public sector workers.

Karie Murphy, a former Unite official, and Andrew Fisher, a former policy officer at the Public and Commercial Services union, both saw their pay packets surge to over £90,000.

Seumas Milne, the former Guardian columnist who is now Labour’s director of communications, has also been awarded a 2.4 per cent raise, taking his salary to £101,855. In contrast, MPS received a salary increase of 1.8 per cent for 2018-19 financial year, taking their basic salary to £77,379.

Earlier this week, Angela Rayner, the shadow education secretary, pledged to cap academy bosses’ wages and John Mcdonnell, the shadow chancellor, unveiled plans to sack bosses of companies renationalised by a Labour government.

One Labour MP told the Evening Standard that the sums would astonish party members, adding: “What on earth will ordinary members outside the London bubble think about such a huge salary as £101,000 for a press adviser? Public sector union members who have seen their own salaries ground down will be quite amazed to see such increases.”

A Labour spokesman said the party did not comment on staffing matters, although a source said some of the rises were linked to the aides taking on additional roles.