Research by Talent Insight Group shows that Sir Keir Starmer’s salary as UK Prime Minister is comparatively low on the global stage and also falls behind the earnings of the Scottish First Minister and the Irish Taoiseach.
In terms of pay, the First Minister of Scotland receives £4,430 more annually than the UK Prime Minister and earns over 127 times more per capita. Meanwhile, the Irish Taoiseach’s salary surpasses Sir Keir’s by over £28,000, equating to more than 12 times more per head of population.
As UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir is entitled to a £172,153 salary and access to several official residences, including 10 Downing Street, Chequers, Dorneywood, Chevening, and Stormont. However, the value of the Prime Minister’s salary has decreased over time, with a standard backbench MP now earning £91,346 upon entering the House of Commons.
Additionally, 278 senior government officials and 57 senior BBC staff are known to earn more than the Prime Minister. The highest earners in the public sector include the Chief Executive Officer of HS2, the Chief Executive Officer of Network Rail, and the Director General of the BBC, each earning over half a million pounds annually.
Glen Hall, Chairman of Talent Insight Group, stated, “We regularly benchmark senior roles in this pay range, and while I’m not in the habit of arguing for higher-paid politicians, the data shows there is a case to be made. Normally, we speak to post-holders and lean heavily on primary data to form a full picture. We’ve made an exception in this case, but if any current or former Prime Ministers would like to contribute, we’re here to listen!”
Download the full report here: Benchmarking the Prime Minister’s Pay.
