Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Jun 02, 2025

Recession? Coronavirus? Economic crisis? What are you talking about? UK's Senior civil servant's £650,000 retirement pay-off sets new Whitehall record for the most money pocketed by a mandarin in a single year

The new class that remain wealthy whatever bad happening to the poor tax payers, the civil servants: Clare Moriarty, 57, has retired after 35 years working across the Civil Service . Has been Permanent Secretary to Defra and Department for Exiting the EU. Landed redundancy payment of over £300,000 on top of her £180,000 salary. Sum is more than three times new public sector pay-off limit set to be introduced

A top civil servant received well over half a million pounds last year in what is thought to be the biggest retirement pay-off in Whitehall history.

Clare Moriarty landed a redundancy payment of more than £300,000 on top of her £180,000 salary – and pocketed a bonus of close to £20,000 for good measure.

The 57-year-old also received an extra £137,000 in her pension pot, taking its total value to a colossal £1,833,000, and her annual pay packet to almost £650,000.

Her redundancy payment alone – £260,000 plus £45,000 ‘in lieu of notice’ – is more than three times a new public sector pay-off limit which is being brought in after the Government admitted that huge pay-outs ‘incense’ the public.

Ms Moriarty had been in the Civil Service for 35 years, rising to the rank of Permanent Secretary at the Department for the Environment before moving to the same role at the Department for Exiting the EU last year.

When the Ministry was closed after Boris Johnson finally delivered Brexit in January, she briefly moved to the Cabinet Office before it was announced that she was leaving Whitehall at the end of March. Ms Moriarty paid gushing tribute to her colleagues, writing on Twitter: ‘I could not have asked for better, more committed colleagues in seven departments over 35 years.

‘I will always be a huge supporter of the Civil Service and its wonderful people… I salute you.’

Her departure took many by surprise as she had been tipped to take on another senior role, such as head of the entire Civil Service.

Asked in a later interview if she wished she had still been around to work on the response to the coronavirus crisis, Ms Moriarty replied: ‘The honest answer is, it’s really, really difficult not being part of something as big as this. But sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is not to get in the way.’

However, it is understood she had been unpopular among some Ministers, with one insisting that when she moved to the Brexit role most of the work had already been done.

The Cabinet Office report states her total remuneration for 2019-20, including pension contributions, was £645,000 to £650,000. A footnote reveals: ‘The combined figure includes salary of £180,000-£185,000; a redundancy payment of £262,185 and compensation in lieu of notice of £45,450.’

Her pay-out is even bigger than the £248,189 expected to be made to Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill after he was forced out by Boris Johnson. It dwarfs the £95,000 cap on severance payments the Government has repeatedly promised to introduce over the past five years.

Her total remuneration is thought to be the biggest ever received in a single year by a civil servant in central Government. However, it still falls below the record held by NHS bigwig David Flory, who got a £415,000 pay-off on top of a £240,000 pay and pension package in 2014.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
×