Dominic Cummings sat on the Cabinet Office salary advisory committee which decided which personnel received the eye-watering pay rises in Downing Street.
Government special advisers were paid almost £10 million last year with former chief adviser Cummings paid the equivalent of £140,000-£144,999 – up from £95,000 – £99,999 last year – an increase of 40% on the year before.
Johnson’s new press secretary Allegra Stratton defended the pay rise claiming that it was the “correct level of salary” for his role and that it had been supported by the Cabinet Office salary advisory committee.
But the Mail on Sunday reports that Cummings’ role involved sitting on that board, bringing into question the independence of the decision.
Stratton told the newspaper that she understood he had recused himself from the talks about his pay rise.
The Cabinet Office insisted there was no impropriety but was unable to confirm or deny that the Brexiteer was absent from the meetings, prompting speculation from the newspaper he could have waived through his own.
Fresh documentation released under the Freedom of Information Act also shows that Cummings proposals to move Downing Street to the Cabinet Office next door have already cost £74,000 plus VAT.
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