Vicky Shaw Shadow culture secretary Jeremy Hunt said yesterday that BBC director general Mark Thompson is overpaid as the MP called for a "reality check".
Mr Thompson earns a basic salary of £647,000, and figures released last week by the corporation show he has claimed £77,823 in expenses over the past five years.
The claims included more than £2000 to fly Mr Thompson's family home from holiday in the wake of the Andrew Sachs row. The salaries of the BBC's 50 top-earning managers were also disclosed - and showed 27 earn more than the PM's £195,000 salary.
Speaking at the Radio Festival in Nottingham, Mr Hunt said: "I think to be director general of the BBC is a privilege, just like it is a privilege to be a member of parliament, and I don't think we do it for the money." Mr Hunt said that Mr Thompson's total remuneration package is "too much for the director general of the BBC".
"It is a huge amount of money and one of the areas where we need to have a reality check," he said.
A spokesman for BBC Trust said: "Our approach is to provide a package that attracts and retains a person of the calibre required to undertake a demanding role, and provide the leadership to direct the UK's largest public service broadcaster."
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