Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary has said senior politicians should be paid more than £1million a year to address what he described as “a fundamental problem with the talent in politics”.
Speaking to the Financial Times, O’Leary argued that higher pay was necessary to attract stronger leadership.
He said: “I think we need to reward our politicians much better, but that’s political suicide to say so.
“If you’re PM or a cabinet minister you should be paid £1million a year,” pointing to Singapore’s model of higher public-sector pay, which he said “is very interesting”.
The outspoken airline boss also reflected on his deliberately provocative public style in the interview, claiming it has played a key role in Ryanair’s growth.
“I get away with a huge amount,” he said, adding: “not because I want to be confrontational or abusive to those people, but because it generates so much free publicity. I spend nothing on advertising.”