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Carrie Symonds’s best friend handed £350-a-day government role without it being advertised

47 replies

SerendipityJane · 05/12/2020 17:07

www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/carrie-symondss-best-friend-handed-350-a-day-government-role-without-it-being-advertised/05/12/

Allegations of chumocracy were circulating once again today after it was revealed Carrie Symonds’s best friend had been handed a lucrative contract with the government without the role being advertised.

According to reports in The Critic Nimco Ali was made an adviser on tackling violence against women and girls in October.

She is paid £350 a day for around two days’ work a month for a role that was not advertised through any competitive application process, a freedom of information request revealed.

(contd)

OP posts:
endofthelinefinally · 05/12/2020 17:51

She is pretty well qualified for the role, though, I thought.
I didn't realise there had been no advertising.

teezletangler · 05/12/2020 17:54

Are these roles ever advertised? Aren't a lot of adviser roles in government direct appointments? I would have thought Nimco Ali was a good candidate for this brief.

IndecentFeminist · 05/12/2020 17:56

In fairness, £350 a day isn't mega bucks for consultancy work either.

titchy · 05/12/2020 17:57

@IndecentFeminist

In fairness, £350 a day isn't mega bucks for consultancy work either.
I was going to say that - definitely under-selling herself with that day rate!
sashagabadon · 05/12/2020 18:00

I like Nimco Ali, she seems pretty fearless and is a great advocate for women and girls. It must be especially difficult to fight against your own community traditions with regards to FGM so fair play to her. I think she is a victim/ survivor of FGM herself if I remember correctly

GalaxyCookieCrumble · 05/12/2020 18:03

Course she did, the whole lot disgust me.

MrsGrindah · 05/12/2020 18:05

It happens all the time but it’s not news when men do it.

FindTheTruth · 05/12/2020 18:09

She's more than qualified for the role - "Nimco Ali was made an adviser on tackling violence against women and girls in October."

and underpaid

and '2 days a month', probably means that she's working more than she's getting paid for

if it had been advertised, the day rate would have been much higher. especially after going through government procurement frameworks with set contract rates and approved agencies who skim their cut off the top

they got a bargain

Asdf12345 · 05/12/2020 18:10

How is that lucrative?

FlaviaAlbiaWantsLangClegBack · 05/12/2020 18:19

I'd far rather the role went to someone who has a good track record and will be an asset rather than someone who can talk a good game in an interview but lacks actual experience or knowledge.

sashagabadon · 05/12/2020 18:36

Eh? Pretty sure she does have both experience and personal knowledge Hmm
She sounds ideal for the role

Lordamighty · 05/12/2020 18:41

Men have been doing this for years & no one says a thing. A woman lands a job she is eminently qualified for & the mud slinging starts.
No idea why this is the FWR section either.

YouNoob · 05/12/2020 18:43

@MrsGrindah

It happens all the time but it’s not news when men do it.

I don't usually say this but there seems to be racial element here as well as misogyny.

LizzieSiddal · 05/12/2020 18:46

Am pleased she’s working in this role. She’s very well qualified for it.

LizzieSiddal · 05/12/2020 18:47

I don't usually say this but there seems to be racial element here as well as misogyny.

Indeed.

Lettera · 05/12/2020 19:04

She's extremely well-qualified, but public appointments should be made following an open recruitment process. I dislike nepotism and 'chumocracy' intensely.

IndecentFeminist · 05/12/2020 19:07

Public appointments for consultancy type roles often aren't advertised in the normal way

TicTacTwo · 05/12/2020 19:19

Considering that Test or Trace consultants are on £7,000 per day I think £350 per day for someone who is qualified is not outrageous.

TicTacTwo · 05/12/2020 19:20

Hancock's friend (the pub landord) who whatsapped him and got a ppe contract got far less scrutinised than this.

titchy · 05/12/2020 19:21

Thinking about I don't think there needs to be a bidding exercise for a public sector contract where it's only worth £8k a year.

17thEarlOfOxford · 05/12/2020 19:26

Nimco Ali is a great choice for this role, and a bargain at twice the price.

DidoLamenting · 05/12/2020 19:29

@IndecentFeminist

In fairness, £350 a day isn't mega bucks for consultancy work either.
Nimco Ali is extremely well qualified for this role. £350 per day is less than my hourly top rate charge out for clients.

I also do training sessions for a continuing professional development training organisation. I charged them £250 for a one hour webinar.

persistentwoman · 05/12/2020 19:30

@17thEarlOfOxford

Nimco Ali is a great choice for this role, and a bargain at twice the price.
This. Of all the abuses in terms of private appointments that this government have made, isn't it interesting that the one to land in FWR is a black woman, FGM survivor and campaigner? And as others have said £350 for a day's consultancy is minimal.
PotholeParadies · 05/12/2020 19:43

I was all ready to start raging, but then I got to the name.

Nimco Ali is a passionate and well-known feminist author, who was subjected to FGM as a child, and has been spending her adult life campaigning against it. She wants FGM to end by 2030.

I'm more concerned about the ferry contract awarded to the firm.with no boats.

GemmeFatale · 05/12/2020 19:56

Bloody perfect appointee

Actually I wish local government could do direct appointments. It’s a waste of everyone’s time, and tax payers money if you already have a great candidate to put in a low to mid level job.