Is Dr Malcolm McVicar worth double the PM's salary?

Here we go again. I’m sure Dr Malcolm McVicar is getting sick and tired of students and journalists alike requesting a statement or sound bite just so he can defend his salary.

The recent Panorama program which aired weeks before students came back to University revealed some pretty startling statistics. The programme found that over 9000 public sector workers are earning more than the Prime Minister David Cameron – and UCLan’s very own Vice-Chancellor is one of them.

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Dr. McVicar, who has been the Vice-Chancellor of UCLan for 12 years, brings home £275,000 a year, while David Cameron walks through the doors of 10 Downing Street with a measly £142,500, in comparison.

It is pretty shocking though; the facts and figures read for a mathematicians dream. The UCLan payroll for the top fifteen highest paid employees reaches a colossal £1,870,000 – probably for the best we don’t find out what they claim for expenses then isn’t it?

This whole issues leads to a wonderful question: in the public sector, how much is too much? It’s vitally important such a great institution like UCLan has the very best at the top, and it wouldn’t be where it is today without the people at the top; but to earn almost double what the Prime Minister earns – questions need to be asked.

I think if you go and tell anybody that the Vice-Chancellor of UCLan earns more than Prime Minister, you’re going to get some pretty shocked faces looking back at you. No one can quite believe. What with all the cuts in public spending of late surely instead of cutting, you would slim down first? Yes, the Vice-Chancellor may have promised that no jobs would be cut in UCLan, so credit where credit is due; but surely with his pay coming directly from taxpayer’s, it affects everybody. What about the public sector workers outside of UCLan who have been laid off?

In his defence, he could argue he has raised the stature of the university, devoted time and effort into shaping UCLan and as one of the longest serving Vice-Chancellors in the UK, his loyalty is rewarded.

These kinds of issues are always going to crop up and be controversial; on the grand scheme of things Dr Malcolm McVicar doesn’t choose his own salary, and he isn’t getting the most in the country, so everybody can leave the pitchforks and signs at home – this isn’t a witch hunt. It just breeds interesting conversation and I feel the main question out of this whole issue is: are these public sector workers paid too much, or is the Prime Minister not paid enough?

Joint reporting with Chris McBriarty.