Why I think it’s a joke my Dad’s paid more than the PM
That’s what the daughter of Justin Webb said recently. Here she and her dad go head to head
THIS week Radio 4 Today presenter Justin Webb told how he was horrified to be criticised over his BBC pay — said to be higher than Prime Minister David Cameron’s £143,462 — by his 16-year-old daughter. Here she explains why her father is not worth his salary — though he is good at running errands for her — while Justin says he is worth every penny . . .
THE other day when I was at school, Dad sent me a selfie: there he was, sitting with the dog in the sunshine on his new sofa, topping up his tan, with a smug grin on his face and a cooling drink at his side.
And where was I? Slaving away in double physics — which is my least favourite lesson.
I think that just about sums up the difference in our lives. Dad seems to think it is highly amusing to taunt me, his hard-working, 16-year- old daughter, with jolly photos of himself whiling away the afternoon in our garden, while I’m doing my utmost to be a responsible teenager working for my GCSEs — which, incidentally, I’m sitting right now.
I sent him back a picture text message: a furious face with steam coming out of its ears.
‘ Why don’t you do something useful?’ I asked sarcastically. Back came a big smiley face. Dad seemed intent on being as irritating as possible.
I love him dearly, but I often ask myself what on earth he does all day other than send irresponsible messages to me?
OK, I admit he gets up ridiculously early when he’s presenting the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, but he only does that part-time, and even when he does put in an appearance he’s only actually on air between 6am and 9am. Three measly hours!
And it’s not earth- shatteringly important work.
He just puts on a voice that’s a bit posher than normal, and asks people questions or reads things.
Literally he reads things for a living! It’s not exactly quantum physics, is it? And it isn’t like being the Prime Minister either. Dad doesn’t make vital decisions that affect other people’s lives. So, I must admit I was outraged to learn that he might be earning more than David Cameron.
Not that Dad has ever disclosed what his salary is. I’ve asked my twin brother Sam if he’s managed to find out, and if he knows he’s not telling me.
But there it was on the internet a few days back: a list of people at the BBC who might actually be paid more money than the man who runs the country. And there’s speculation that Dad’s among them. But I can’t really believe it’s true.
To be honest, I didn’t actually have a clue what David Cameron earns, but I’ve been told it is £143,462 a year. I can’t imagine Dad is worth that much, so I’m going to hazard a guess that he might actually earn about £115,000 a year.
I’ve come to that conclusion because he and my Mum (Sarah Gordon), who works in advertising, can afford to take all three of us — Sam, me and our sister Clara, 12 — on nice holidays to the U.S. where we used to live before we moved to South London. And that isn’t cheap.
My brother thinks that Dad does a great job informing the world about news and politics and is worth every bit of what he’s paid — whatever that might be — but that’s because Sam wants to be a radio journalist, too. So he would say that, wouldn’t he?
I think Dad shouldn’t be paid as much as Mum, let alone the Prime Minister, because she has a very busy job in a boring office and has to be
there from 9am until as late as 10pm sometimes, pitching to clients. While Dad is always home by 10am. Then he hangs around the house all day. I have a suspicion he doesn’t do that much except practise his ‘nice’ work voice, which is lower and more important sounding than the one he uses at home and obviously doesn’t feature any swear words. But could society function without him if he didn’t do his job? yes, it certainly could! Admittedly, it’s helpful for us that he doesn’t do much work because he can be our errand boy. The other day a Clara needed some strawberries for a food technology class and she texted Dad, who just went out to buy some and then drove round to school with them.
If I forget my Pe kit all I have to do is summon Dad. And he’s there at the end of the day to pick us up from school. So he’s quite useful.
He also cooks dinner for us every evening. He was terrible at it when he started — even managing to burn a microwave pizza — but he’s got a bit better recently. His speciality is what he calls roast chicken ‘farmhouse style’.
But, of course, Mum has to plan it all and tell him exactly what to do.
I have to give Dad credit, too, for getting up ludicrously early when he does the Today programme. He deserves a bit of a bonus for hauling himself out of bed at 3am so he’s at Broadcasting House by 4am.
He used to sleep in the basement, but it meant we all had to creep around after 8pm when he went to bed in case we disturbed him, which caused a lot of disruption.
But now he’s had a pod built in the garden with a bed and bathroom, so when he has an early start he sleeps out there, out of everyone’s way.
I admit I do listen to him on Today. I can’t help it because there are radios all over our house and they are all tuned to Radio 4. But we don’t get much street cred at school as a result of it. If he was on Radio 1 or Capital, it would be quite cool. But he’s 55 — a bit old for that.
AnD I’d like it if he interviewed people other than boring politicians. Kim Kardashian or Jennifer lawrence would be a good start.
If he had them on Today I’d do anything to go into work with him and meet them — I’d even get up at 3am and carry his briefcase.
But even if his work did involve interviewing A-list stars, I don’t think he deserves such a big salary, because that’s just entertaining us.
It’s not a vital job like being a doctor and saving lives. So on that basis, if I ruled the world I’d probably pay doctors £125,000 a year and Kim Kardashian about £50,000.
And Premier league footballers, who earn millions, should get a maximum of £90,000. As for me, eventually I’d like to be a lawyer. Dad’s taken me to the Old Bailey a few times, and I think it’s important that people have someone to speak for them so justice is properly done.
It’s a worthy job. And I believe I should be paid more than Dad if I become a lawyer.
Besides, I’d need to earn quite a bit to pay for his care home. Or I might just have a pod built in my garden and put him in there.
Justin says...
FANCY: I have been called out on my pay, not by the Director General of the BBC, but by my 16-year- old daughter. I suspect she’s been working up to this for some time. When Martha was a baby she used to howl if I held her. I think she understood innately that I might be incompetent or an imposter or both.
I see she writes that though I cook her supper every night, ‘Mum has to plan it all and tell him what to do’.
So now she has pounced: the idea that I might earn anything close to the man running the country is too much. She is speaking out.
And good for her. There is nothing worse than children who live in their parents’ shadows.
Or parents desperate to be loved not for who they are, but for what they do: their careers, their fame, their achievements.
I am delighted that Martha seems fond of her dull-witted dad despite his job rather than because of it.
And yes, presenting the Today programme does not compare in social usefulness to saving lives in A&e. Though I do work Saturdays for no extra pay . . .
BuT, overall, I am delighted that she plainly hasn’t the faintest idea what people earn — I suspect most 16year-olds don’t and that’s good, too.
She wants to be a top lawyer and thinks she might earn more than me if she gets there. And then some, Martha! But I am glad that’s not what makes her want to do it.
It’s interesting that Martha thinks that the more enjoyable your job is, the less you should be paid. She says my wife Sarah, who works for the advertising company Ogilvy & Mather, should be paid more than me because she has to go to a ‘boring office’ and stay late.
Actually I don’t think Sarah’s job is at all boring, but the idea that fun at work must reduce your pay might have odd and rather wonderful consequences if Martha were to take over the running of the nation.
After all, satisfaction comes from achievement so you might find people who work with their hands and people who work with their brains paid rather well, but people who feel unfulfilled and underchallenged ( perhaps call centre staff?) earning millions.
Is that what Martha wants? It’s not a bad idea if we could organise it.
never mind cutting the pay of the Kardashians or Robert Peston: let’s shell out the big money on the staff in the complaints department at British Gas.
In fact, I think what Martha really gets to the heart of is her assessment of my daily life. It is nice to be at home and to take strawberries and Pe kits to school when they have been forgotten.
What she doesn’t remember, however, is that when she was young I had no control at all over what I did: as a reporter, you go where you are sent and go fast.
But now: bliss. I can bother her with texts, pick her up from school and, above all, chat with her and her brother and sister without fear of being dragged away.
And that — rather than the money — is the real privilege of my life.