Ed Miliband's Green Quango Pays £1,000 Daily Amidst Cost Crisis

Ed Miliband's Great British Energy quango is under fire for offering new non-executive directors a staggering £1,000 per day, a move critics label a "scandalous waste of money" according to the Daily Express. This eye-watering sum, for just three days of work per week, means each director could earn £30,000 annually, nearly matching the average UK salary, all funded by the taxpayer.

The organisation, sponsored by the Department for Energy Security & Net-Zero, was formed in May 2025 with promises of cleaner, more secure energy and job creation. However, as reported by the Daily Express, this latest revelation comes as the energy price cap for the average customer stands at £1,641, a sum a new appointee could earn in just one and a half days.

William Yarwood, campaigns director of the Taxpayers' Alliance, condemned the move, stating: “At a time when working families are dreading their next energy bill, it is frankly insulting to see Great British Energy handing out £1,000-a-day taxpayer-funded gigs to boardroom bureaucrats.” Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice echoed this, calling the spending “completely tone deaf” given the cost-of-living crisis.

This lavish spending by a government-backed body, overseen by the Energy Secretary, lands a direct blow to the pockets of ordinary British people. While families face unprecedented financial strain, with energy bills a constant worry, a state-funded quango appears to be operating with a complete disregard for fiscal prudence, bankrolling what many will see as exorbitant salaries for part-time roles.

The Great British Energy spokesman defended the roles, stating non-executive directors provide "independent oversight, specialist expertise and effective management." However, the public will surely question whether such expertise truly warrants a £1,000 daily rate when the average household struggles to pay their quarterly energy bill, which this new appointee could cover in less than two days' work.