BBC’s Davie earns most in public sector comms

It reveals that Davie’s total remuneration for 2006-07 ­increased by 41.5 per cent to £406,000 – making him the 31st best-paid public sector employee. In comparison, Gordon Brown received £188,849 for the same period.

Davie is responsible for all the BBC’s marketing, ­comms, audience research and insight activities, as well as its audience ser­vices dep­artment, which includes its customer call centres. He joined the BBC in 2005 after being vice-president, mark­eting and franchise, at PepsiCo Europe. He is a member of the BBC’s Executive Board, a director of Freeview and of Digital UK, and a trustee of Children In Need.

Others on the rich list ­inc­lude the Cabinet Office’s permanent secretary for government comms Howell James, who was paid £168,100 in 2006-07. British Waterways marketing and customer ser­vice director Simon Salem received £158,517, including a bonus of £30,210 and tax­able benefits of £9,807.

HM Revenue and Customs director of communications and marketing Chris Hopson received £155,000.

HMRC was forced in September to admit the latest in a string of major errors over tax credits. It released the news just before the end of the last parliamentary session, making it a front-page story. In June, HMRC ­announced a restructure of its internal comms team from 80 down to 65 officers, through ‘natural wastage’.