Metral
Markets

This thinktank exposed fat cats and obscenely high pay. Guess what has happened to it? | Polly Toynbee

The High Pay Centre revealed the excesses of CEO wages. But then anti-diversity winds blew in from across the AtlanticShock ricocheted around the world of social research this week with the sudden news of the imminent closure of the High Pay Centre (HPC). Founded in 2011 by the former Guardian business editor Deborah Hargreaves to focus on analysis of extreme pay at the top and the widening pay gap between CEOs and their average employees, its closure feels like the death of an idea.Others campa

This thinktank exposed fat cats and obscenely high pay. Guess what has happened to it? | Polly Toynbee

Published July 10, 2026 · Category: Markets

Overview

The High Pay Centre revealed the excesses of CEO wages. But then anti-diversity winds blew in from across the Atlantic

Shock ricocheted around the world of social research this week with the sudden news of the imminent closure of the High Pay Centre (HPC). Founded in 2011 by the former Guardian business editor Deborah Hargreaves to focus on analysis of extreme pay at the top and the widening pay gap between CEOs and their average employees, its closure feels like the death of an idea.

Details

Others campaign on tax and redistribution but the HPC was concerned with “predistribution”. It was unique in looking at the origins of inequality in pay and control over pay rates. Its annual report is always covered, even by rightwing media, because each year it reawakens a sense of disbelief at the way we live now. Why would the median FTSE 100 CEO need £4.4m this year to do his (yes, mostly still his) gratifyingly high-status job? Why?

Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist

Continue reading...

Source

Originally published at www.theguardian.com.

Related Articles

CD
Metral Newsroom

Metral covers global markets, stocks, crypto and the economy — desk research and data-driven analysis. Tip our newsroom: [email protected]

Email the newsroom →
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Data may be delayed up to 15 minutes. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Consult a licensed financial advisor before making investment decisions.