Over 300 quango bosses paid more than the prime minister

Over 300 quango bosses received a higher salary than the prime minister last year, according to the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA).

Quango stands for quasi autonomous non-governmental organisations, which means they are taxpayer-funded but not directly controlled by central government, and include watchdogs as well as the prison service.

Sir Keir Starmer axed the biggest quango, NHS England, last month and the government is currently reviewing hundreds of quangos in a bid to reduce bureaucratic waste and inefficiency.

John O'Connell, chief executive of the TPA, said there should be more scrutiny of the hundreds of "quangocrats" taking home "massive pay packets" with minimal democratic oversight.