More than £1 million in so-called hush money has allegedly been given to City Hall staff under deals requiring them to keep quiet about their departures.
The pay-offs are termed “settlement agreements” rather than non-disclosure agreements but prohibit the sharing of “any employment-related issue” that might have resulted in the staff member leaving the Greater London Authority.
A total of 56 settlement agreements have been struck since 2017, at a total cost to the London taxpayer of £1,068,757, according to a freedom of information request. Out of which, 41 staff worked directly or indirectly for Sadiq Khan and 15 for the London Assembly, the cross-party body that scrutinises the mayor and his policies, Evening Standard reported.
The payments — which average about £18,800 for mayoral employees and nearly £20,000 for the assembly or its “civil service” secretariat — are believed to be in addition to redundancy payments.
By comparison, 48 similar payouts made during Boris Johnson’s second term as mayor, between 2012 and 2016, cost almost £1.9 million.
The settlement agreements include a clause to prevent the disclosure of its terms. This is to protect the financial information, personal data and details of any employment-related issue that may have given rise to the agreement.
