Talk:Messages from the Shareholders/@comment-4074242-20141124153438

Having read through your letter and the response from Professor Barwise, I would like to say that I share your concerns.

In particular I am horrified by the level of pay awarded to the most senior executives. Whilst not in the obscene region of what bankers pay themselves, I do feel that it is entirely inappropriate for an organisation which campaigns on behalf of individuals to insist that these levels of remuneration are both necessary and appropriate.

I should add that I work for one of the largest charities  ....................... is paid around £70,000 per annum. Whilst that is low compared to the commercial world or indeed to the Consumers’ Association, it has still generated considerable disquiet amongst many of our supporters, and the lower paid staff.

I do not accept that it is necessary to pay excessively high salaries to get the calibre of people necessary. But in any event many sectors of society are now in a spiral where because some organisations pay more others have to exceed this and so on. Someone, somewhere has to stop this process, and I believe that the Consumers’ Association by its very nature is well placed so to do.

As far as the process relating to Council nominations is concerned this strikes me as being a way for the existing Council members to ensure that anyone they dislike or whose views might be uncomfortable to them is prevented from being elected. In my view this is just a way of rigging the election and it appals me.

Having said all this I did want to support you by voting against the four items listed on the Proxy Form. You will appreciate that as someone who lives in Scotland, and works full-time, attending the AGM is not an option for me because of both financial and time restrictions.

................................................. 3. Have you considered alerting the press to the matters you have raised in your letter? I would have thought that this is the sort of thing that The Guardian would be interested in.

Finally I would just like to add a thought which I had some weeks ago when I originally received the papers from the Consumers’ Association. It struck me that most, if not all, of the Council members were from the south of England and that there was little or no representation from the Midlands, the North of England, Wales, Northern Ireland, or Scotland.

It is of course difficult for those of us who live far from London to get involved in organisations which meet and transact business in the capital. However as a nationwide organisation it would be nice to think that the Consumers’ Association considered this, and even thought about having meetings in different parts of the country to try and encourage more participation from people in all areas. Sadly however I feel that so many of those who live and work in London now believe that it is the centre of the universe and everything important should happen there.