Waging war on stars backfires
JEREMY Corbyn was a laughing stock last night after ditching plans to cap footballers’ wages hours after announcing it.
The leftie Labour leader wanted an end to the huge six-figure weekly salaries paid to Premier League aces like Paul Pogba and Wayne Rooney. He demanded a “maximum wage” law, forcing top stars to stay below a pay ceiling. But the £138,000-ayear politician would not say how much was too much. And after his own allies laughed down the idea, saying it was “lunacy”, the plan was hurriedly rephrased. Instead, he said executives at companies with government contracts would be limited to earning 20 times more than their most junior staff – around £350,000 a year. He also hinted at an extra rate of tax on those earning more than £70,000. Mr Corbyn ® set out his wage cap idea yesterday as part of a plan to create a more equal Britain.
He branded footballers’ salaries “utterly ridiculous”.
Players like Manchester United stars Pogba, Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are all paid at least £250,000-aweek by the Premier League club and earn far more in sponsorship deals.
Mr Corbyn said the likes of Arsene Wenger, manager of his beloved Arsenal, would have to curb their pay – BOOST: Infantino before later backtracking. Following the announcement of his policy Mr Corbyn was handed a Gunners’ shirt with his name on it by Good Morning Britain TV presenter Piers Morgan yesterday.
In a reference to 10 Downing Street, the controversial host said: “Corbyn, number 10 on the back.”
Mr Corbyn said of his wage plan: “I am not going to put a figure on it.”
He added: “I think some of the salaries paid to highearning executives of companies are ridiculous.” But members of his own party distanced themselves from the idea last night.
Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Debbie Abrahams said the pay cap was not the party’s official line.
Financial expert David Blanchflower, a former adviser to Mr Corbyn, called it “totally idiotic”.
And economis academic Richard Murphy, who advised Mr Corbyn during his bid for leadership of the Labour Party, said: “It doesn’t make any economic sense at all.”