Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
KEIR STARMER’S CHIEF of staff, Cork native Morgan McSweeney, is the highest paid UK Government special adviser, new figures have indicated.
Macroom native McSweeney is paid between £155,000 and £159,999 (€179,000 and €185,000), according to data released by the Cabinet Office today.
The UK media hailed McSweeney as the man behind Labour’s emphatic electoral landslide victory last summer.
In a profile in The Guardian, McSweeney was labelled “Labour’s elections guru” who has “near-unrivalled influence”.
But while he has been hailed as Labour’s election guru by many, some see Morgan as an enemy to the Labour left.
He has been accused in the past of removing every supporter of former leader Jeremy Corbyn from positions within the party.
He became the chief of staff of British Prime Minister Starmer in October after the resignation of Sue Gray.
It was reported at the time that McSweeney had clashed with Gray.
Gray was said to have been “blind-sided” by the decision to give McSweeney her job, and it was reported that she only found out shortly before it was announced.
Gray first made headlines in December 2021 when she took on the civil service investigation into allegations of Covid-rule-breaking events in Boris Johnson’s Downing Street.
In May 2022, the report into ‘partygate’ detailed events at which officials drank so much they were sick, sang karaoke, became involved in altercations and abused security and cleaning staff at a time when millions of people across the country were unable to see friends and family.
In recent weeks, McSweeney has garnered criticism from the left of the Labour party over proposed cuts to social welfare payments, which were largely rolled back.
McSweeney has emerged as a primary target for Labour “rebels” and those MPs have been pointing to McSweeney as the main influence behind Starmer’s austerity measures and rightward shift more generally.
Elsewhere, a raft of other senior Number 10 advisers, also known as spads, occupy the next highest pay rung on salaries between £145,000 and £149,999 (€167,800 and €173,600), as well as Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s top economic adviser.
Overall the pay bill for spads in the 2024/25 was £16.7 million (€19.3m), but this included £3.1 million (€3.6m) in severance costs, which would have covered outgoing advisers from the previous Conservative government.
The salary bill was £9.5 million (€11m), lower than the £10 million (€11.6m) spent in the previous year.
According to the UK Government’s release, as of 31 March there were 130 special advisers across the Government.
Salaries over £76,000 (€87,900) are declared in bands of £5,000 (€5,800).
McSweeney was the only person in the £155,000 to £159,999 band.
-With additional reporting from Press Association
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Good for him. He saw a niche and filled it.
That’s what she said.
That’s really quite a clever idea, fair play to him for taking the initiative.
Them awards are a load of rubbish one so called entrepreneur won an award for making paper cups.
@ Jack – Fox won because he took on the chinese large volume only, two month wait manufacturers. “Cupprint offers a minimum order quantity of 1,000 cups for marketing companies and 5,000 for retail/cafes in a turnaround time of 15 days anywhere in Europe.” He also managed to create employment in this country in 2009. We need more people like this.
I read their story in the paper few months ago. Before they came along you had to get big orders from China with a 8 week turnaround time, now their process can do it in days and they’re supplying orders of all sizes to all over Europe from Ireland.
It’s easy to sit behind a keyboard and take pot shots and people who got out there in the world and did things. Most people wait around for life to happen to them, we need people, even if they’re a small number, who don’t wait around, who do things on their own initiative.
At least the business he set up was useful, unlike Sutherlands former Goldman buddies who make money on pointless nonsense like moving steel around to diff warehouses to artificially restrict the supply and make money off the ensuing spike in prices, and who lets not forget, were at the centre of the subprime mortgage scam that brought down the global economy.
We need entrepreneurs who actually provide goods and services and while this might seem like a small deal to you, I’m sure the people using it see the benefit.
And prey tell, what do you do for a living Jack? How many jobs have you created? How much wealth? How many families are paying mortgages and bills through something you set up?
Ciaran, I own 2 businesses and Im involved as a silent partner is 4 others also I own 6 houses that are rented out. In 1983 I invented a well known household product that I sold on for a tidy profit. At the moment I am looking at inventing a new form of transport so watch this space.
Well done Jack we need more people like you in Ireland
@ Jack – and you did’nt get an award. Sour grapes?
What’s your full name Jack?
Hi Mark!
A question on the product – is the money transferred out of the Country subject to an ‘exit tax’ for example?
Congratulations to all winners, except Peter Sunderland of course.
What’s your problem with Suds??
Best friend of Denis
Best friend of Denis ,must need to raise a few bobs.
Best friend of Denis ,he must need to raise money
This Sutherland thing is a sick joke. A ruthless character. How twisted can things get in the rarefied air of the unknowing?
have your say