Nick Ferrari challenges Priti Patel over pay rise for Dominic Cummings
17 December 2020, 08:53 | Updated: 17 December 2020, 08:55
Nick Ferrari challenges Priti Patel over Dominic Cumming's pay rise
This is the moment Nick Ferrari challenged Home Secretary Priti Patel over the pay of former Downing Street aide Domonic Cummings.
After the news Boris Johnson's former chief advisor Dominic Cummings received a pay rise of at least £40,000 before leaving 10 Downing Street, Nick Ferrari asked a senior Government Minister about the issue.
Nick asked the Home Secretary if it was "one rule for police officer's pay and another for Dominic Cummings?"
Ms Patel said it was not embarrassing for her, but in her role, she "backs the police."
The Home Secretary told LBC that "people on low pay will absolutely get a pay rise.:
This led to Nick challenging her, pointing out "Mr Cummings wasn't on low pay was he? Sir Keir Starmer is right isn't he, it is one look for a police officer and a political adviser?"
But the Home Secretary said she was focused on backing the police, "not on the pay of particular advisers who are no longer in Government."
It comes after a Cabinet Office report revealed exactly how much the Prime Minister's chief adviser was paid.
Dominic Cummings, who is in the process of leaving his Government post, is on between £140,000 and £145,000 a year.
"How on earth does the PM justify" Dominic Cummings pay rise?
At Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions, Sir Keir Starmer raised the issue with Boris Johnson. He said: "Another major mistake of the last 12 months, losing public trust. We all know what the tipping point was. The 520-mile round trip to Barnard Castle and the humiliating way in which the PM and his cabinet chose to defend it.
"Now we learn that while the PM and Chancellor are telling the Armed Forces, police officers, care workers and fire fighters that they will get a pay freeze, Dominic Cummings has been handed at least a £40,000 pay rise. How on earth does the PM justify that?"
Mr Johnson replied: "He totally trivialises the efforts of the British people in getting the virus down.
"We will continue with that tiering system and we will get that virus down. That is the best way forward for this country. All he wants to do is to lock the whole country down, he's a one-club golfer, that's the only solution he has and then all he does is attack the economic consequences of lockdowns."
