Senior civil servants in the UK, some earning up to £225,000 annually, are engaging in lucrative second jobs in the private sector, a Daily Mail audit has revealed. Numerous officials, including those at chief executive level, have declared these outside roles over the past two years.
These secondary employment ventures include IT and housing development firms run by tech or property directors, leading to questions about potential conflicts of interest. One official consults for a Formula One team while another, a Whitehall security chief, participates in a Channel 4 reality television series. Both hold civil service positions paying up to £130,000.
Some public officials earning up to £163,000 also work as self-employed yoga instructors, fitness trainers, or dance teachers. Other declared side hustles include a stand-up comedian, operating a horse retirement home, and teaching rugby referees.
Mark Bourgeois, chief executive of the Government Property Agency, holds the highest-paid civil service role among those declaring second jobs, earning between £220,000 and £224,999. He also serves as a director for the leadership firm Velement.
Emma Hodges, an HR director at HMRC earning up to £130,000, is a consultant for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team. Dr. Steve Hersee, formerly the Department for Work and Pensions head of security and now at the Home Office as head of information security, is the 'head of intelligence' for Channel 4's show 'Hunted.'
Catherine Blair, chief financial officer at HM Courts and Tribunals Service, earns up to £163,000 and is also a director of the management consultancy firm Cadrup. Ian Wallis, HMRC's director of people analytics and insight, who earns up to £130,000, is a director of the tech firm Data Strategists.
Noreen Winhall, a commercial director for buildings, and Kerry Williams, a commercial specialist, are directors of property or building development firms. These details were published by the Cabinet Office.
There is no suggestion that any of the officials have violated rules, and all were asked to comment. Shadow Cabinet Office minister Mike Wood stated that voters would "rightly ask why some of the highest–paid public servants are taking on lucrative second jobs at the same time as taxes soar." He emphasized that while outside interests are not inherently wrong, "taxpayers who are paying these substantial salaries are entitled to expect public duties to come first and to know that there are no conflicts of interest."
Shimeon Lee, policy analyst at the TaxPayers' Alliance, expressed that taxpayers would be "astonished" that civil servants could "build lucrative side hustles." He added, "These moonlighting mandarins are already on salaries most workers could only dream of. Departments need to get a grip... and make sure taxpayers are getting a full–time civil service for full–time pay."
The declarations are sourced from publicly available government data, which requires Whitehall departments to publish details of outside employment held by senior civil servants. This information covers declarations made between late 2024 and July of the current year.
The government stated that "Any paid... outside employment must be approved, declared and published for full transparency. Approved work must only be undertaken outside contracted working hours."