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Peer tricks BBC presenter into £92,000 confession
Nicholas Cecil12.05.09
BBC salaries were drawn into the MPs expenses row today after a peer turned the tables on a presenter in an on-screen bust-up.
Carrie Gracie, a presenter on the BBC News Channel, was left defending her £92,000-a-year salary while interviewing Labour peer Lord Foulkes. He was touring the TV stations to defend Commons Speaker Michael Martin over his handling of the allowances scandal.
After Gracie had attacked MPs' claims, Lord Foulkes challenged her to say how much she was paid by the licence fee payer. “My salary is £92,000,” she replied, before he seized on this to say: “£92,000, so you are paid nearly twice as much as a Member of Parliament to come on and talk nonsense.”
The presenter hit back, saying: “Every single call I make, I make from my own phone. I don't even make a personal call from the BBC because I understand what public sector money is about.” When she tried to ask another question and apologised for interrupting, Lord Foulkes said: “You're not at all sorry to interrupt me — every time an MP comes on you constantly harass them.”
The peer appears to have got his sums wrong as MPs are paid £64,700 and can claim a second home allowance of just over £24,000 a year.
Tory backbencher Douglas Carswell was today seeking six other MPs to join him in tabling a motion of no confidence in Mr Martin but by lunchtime had not named anyone willing to support his move.
Reader views (26)
I think we can save the BBC - and the UK taxpayer - a fortune!! OK, anyone who can speak English clearly and eloquently and would be happy to be a BBC newsreader at an annual salary of, say £24,000 please form a queue..
Sorry - behind me that is!!
- Suzy, London, England
Fiona Bruce gets about £900K if I'm not mistaken.
- Ok, London, England
At least Carrie Gracie earns her money and has languages that can be used to promote News from abroad - Mandarin is one whichsprings to mind. As a licence payer I do not object to her salary and it's her salary and no one else's business. As to Michael Martin, in my opinion that man is a total waster, a cheat and also a thief and should never have been Speaker, let alone still be in this post!!!!! His allehiance has always been to the Labour party and it is amazing after the last rumpus he still holds this position, Life time post my a..! There must be some clause, he
- Sam, Stonehouse, England
shame the bbc is milking moiney the tv presentersa don't need to earn £92,000 from the licence fee t's time berlusconi and murdoch bought the bbc from the lash hunting labour goverment
- Haf1, bermondsey,london
£92,000 to read from an autocue, the BBC is a disgrace and I bet she gets a 'clothing allowance'.
The licence fee should be renamed BBC tax.
- Chris, East Peckham, England
Crikey ! How much is Fiona Bruce and Sophie Rayworth getting ??
- Rc, London UK
It's about time to turn attention back to the BBC's utter waste of taxpayers' money... so well done to him.
- Ann, Farnborough
The MP's may be today's public enemy number one. But let's face it... The Media are the lowest form of pond life walking London's streets.
- Tangomike, Kensington, London
Since the BBC is hand-in-glove with the Labour government, it follows that it would have similar policies. The licence fee has always been targeted at salaries first, progamming second. This is made clear by having up to three people presenting the same radio or TV show, which could so easily be managed by one competent person.
- Brianonthecam, Cambridge UK
Time to end govt control of the media, eh what?
- Trunk, US
She's overpaid.
- Roger, Winchester, Hampshire, England
What about the obscene salary paid to Jonathon Ross for just talking to someone. One million would be excessive so was his job advertised as the sum offered in wages before he landed it.
T H Leeds
- Thomas Hayes, Leeds UK
The man has a very solid point. Her £92,000 BBC salary imho is more of a scandal than the £64,000 plus £20k or so expenses that MPs can claim! AND she probably gets perks we'll never know about, too, special treatment etc.
I've never even heard of this woman, a minor BBC reporter, and she's making more than fifteen times my pension for a lifetime of work! £92,000 a year is about six times the average salary in my area. Hmmmmm Very interesting indeed.
- D. Williams, Wales
In my opinion, Once the MP's ripping off the taxpayer saga is covered up as it will one way or another. Other Goverment Depts should look into their wage / bonus areas. Why can't military personnel claim second home allowances? The Police get allowances, if they didn't they would strike as they have a union. The military cant do anything just go where ever they are told, even if it is right or wrong.
- Rgj Durch, GERMANY
How much! £92000, for the dribble she comes out with.
- Mel Barrows, Tenerife. Canary Islands.
As much as we detest the greed and sleaze of the politicians her salary is difficult to accept too... a lot of the BBC staff are on ridiculous wages - Fiona Bruce on over £800,000 for reading from an autocue and nodding her head... I switch off every time I hear her insincere voice and see her cheesy smile...don't let stop at politicians when it comes to milking the system.
- Mc, London
The job Carrie Gracie does may or may not be worth the salary quoted. The point is that she lives within her salary and does not misinterpret an allowance system to gain tax free benefits - or does the noble Lord know something we don't? He should either put or shut up and stop defending the indefensible.
- James Elliott, Eastbourne UK
Well done to the Labour Not-quite-toff for deflecting attention away from the scumbag MPs. Doubtless we are now going to get reams of reports about Huw Edwards' dodgy expenses or Jeremy Paxman's inflated salary.
Whilst it's important to know how the BBC - who are all paid for by the taxpayer - wastes our money, let's not get distracted from the real criminals who are wasting our tax.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland
I watched this reprehensible foul-mouth, ill-educated Scotiish yob, who calls himself a "lord".
This is the true face of Nu Liebor.
- Weddigen, London SW3
Its not the salary we object to but the expenses and obviously the misuse.
Wish I could get such allowances bet the Inland revenue wil be ready in the isle!
- Robert Sanderson, london
OF COURSE HE WAS RIGHT PRESENTERS ARE VASTLY OVERPAID. WHAT WAS IT FOR ONE FIVE MILLION FOR A FEW YEARS. LINK THEIR PAY TO THE PAY OF THE ARMED FORCES.
- Alan Green, Woodford Green
She's paid how much!!! I've never even heard of her. How much are the 'star newsreaders' paid?
- Sue R, London
This peer muppet is DEFENDING Michael Martin.
That tells me all I need to know.
KICK THE LOT OF THEM OUT OF THE HOUSE OF CONMEN AND THE HOUSE OF LORDS. THEY ARE A DISGRACE TO DEMOCRACY.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe UK
She should never have told him her salary. Her answer gave him the opportunity to turn the interview around and start grilling a BBC staffer, instead of him having to discuss how Parliament will deal with all the corruption.
What she should have said is that whatever she is paid it doesn't include allowances for swimming pools, chandeliers or multi-million pound property portfolios all being paid for by British taxpayers. That would have kept the focus on MPs' corruption, and not on her salary.
- Kate, London
Typical behaviour of someone totally in the wrong and trying to save face - turning the blame round on the newsreader. How low can you get?
- Napoleon Blownaparte, London
You surely can't expect a peer to ba able to add up. He'd be grossly over-qualified to be a politican.
- .Grownup, London / UK
