The Bonus Class

I recently blogged about the changing class system in the UK. I coined the thought that we were divided into three classes in this modern era and named them as the Political Class, the Criminal Class and the Paying Class. I did however omit a fourth and very important class...the Bonus Class!

These are the people who run Public Services and then reward themselves with huge bonuses to top up their huge salaries. The Bonus Class comprises, Police Chiefs, NHS bosses, Town Hall fat cats, Bankers (of course), Energy chiefs, senior Civil Servants and any other senior officer who has the capacity to make the lives of the Paying Class a misery.

Generally they are complacent, arrogant and incompetent. Their answer to any problem is to increase the price of any commodity which the Paying Class needs to survive. Everything they touch usually declines but despite their ineptitude they march on untouched and on the way they collect enormous sums of public money whilst ruining the Public Service for which they are responsible .

Step forward the Head of the British Airport Authority, Colin Matthews, who has presided over the recent airport shambles at Heathrow. After admitting that he was responsible for the debacle affecting thousands of passengers from all over the world he declared with head held high that he would forego his bonus this year. This is the man who, the BBC reports, earned £994000 last year in salary and bonuses which by the way didn't include any share options that he had negotiated.

I don't think it ever occurred to Mr Matthews that having demonstrated his utter incapability to do the job he should at least resign and that dear reader typifies the attitude of the Bonus Class. They regard themselves as untouchable. They have no shame and no conscience and their greed only matches their incompetence. Look around you at the mess that you witness in every walk of life and inevitably the person in charge is a member of the Bonus Class.

David Cameron promised to address this inequality but like everything else he forgot his promise. The Bonus Class is generally in league with the Political Class and the only people who benefit are the Criminal Class.