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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Philip Dewey & Zoe Forsey

Huw Edwards attacked over his 'stratospheric' and 'outrageous' BBC salary by MP

Newsreader Huw Edwards is making his debut as the face of the BBC's election night coverage, bringing us all the latest from counts around the country.

The presenter has 35 years of experience, including 13 at Westminster, behind him - making him the perfect choice to lead the evening's news.

Edwards is the Beeb's highest paid journalist, even though he took a huge pay cut this financial year.

This year he earned between £490,000-£494,999 compared to £520,000-£529,999 last year.

When the salaries were revealed by the BBC earlier this year , Edwards came under fire from former war reporter and MP Martin Bell, who described his wage as "stratospheric" and "outrageous".

Martin Bell wrote about the salaries in his column (Getty Images)

He was the fourth highest star across the company, with Gary Lineker taking the top spot earning between £1,750,000 and £1,754,999 in 2018/19.

Chris Evans was in second place at  £1,250,000 to £1,254,999, with Graham Norton at third taking home between £610,000 and £614,999.

In his  Daily Mail column  at the time, Martin Bell, who worked for the corporation between 1962 and 1997, said the BBC's salaries were "more outrageous than ever", reports Wales Online .

Huw has decades of experience behind him (PA)

He added: "The best-paid journalist, newsreader Huw Edward, is on £490,000. To a reporter of my generation, that sum is unthinkable.

"Bear in mind that veteran newsreader Kenneth Kendall's final salary at the BBC in 1981 was £16,000 a year - just over £60,000 in today's money. That's an eighth of Edwards' salary and Kendall commanded audiences of eight million compared to around five now. 

"When I left the BBC in 1997, after 35 years' service, I was being paid a salary of £70,000: a good wage, certainly, but far from the stratospheric salaries commanded today.

"While reporting from Sarajevo in 1992, I was hit by mortar shrapnel. Some of the metal is still in my stomach: doctors say it would be too dangerous to attempt to take it out. I can assure you that, in contrast to the perils of war reporting, reading an autocue in a TV studio requires no remarkable gifts.

"The 'talent' would be alarmed to realise how many untrained people could do it just as well." 

Speaking when his role of Election night presenter was announced, Edwards said: “Our aim in BBC News is to provide the best possible service to voters in a very uncertain world.

"It is my job - both during the campaign and on the night - to guide viewers through the most important election for decades.

"I hope to put my 35 years of experience to good use and to offer our viewers a service they can trust.”

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