OPPOSITION parties demanded reform of Whitehall’s bonus culture last night, after research revealed civil servants shared pay-outs worth almost £130m last year.
The Tories said bonuses should be paid to civil servants who save taxpayers money, while the Liberal Democrats described the figures as “insensitive” and said Government workers should not be immune from the effects of the recession.
Analysis of Parliamentary questions and departmental accounts by the Press Association found the Whitehall bonus pot for 2008/09 added up to £129,393,139.50 – around £2 for every man, woman and child in the UK.
It means nearly £2.5m a week – or more than £350,000 a day – went on performance-related pay for Government workers in 2008/09.
