Government will pay £142,000 a year for a 'Twitter Tsar'

THE UK GOVERNMENT will pay someone £142,000 a year to be a so-called "Twitter Tsar".

The job, which carries the official title of Executive Director of Digital, was posted on the UK Civil Service website, where a rash of applicants is no doubt expected.

The job description is particularly vague, leading to speculation about the exact nature of the work, but one thing was decidedly clear, "Twitter will be a tiny part of the job." In other words, the successful applicant will be required to toil over their keyboard bashing out 140 characters at a whack.

However, it is likely that the role will also include aspects of policy making. Applicants are expected to have "a track record of leading digitally enabled change at a strategic level". The job will combine the work of Chief Executive of Directgov, a citizen information website, and part of the work of the Director for Digital Engagement and Transparency.

The affectionate title of "Twitter Tsar" was thought up media outlets such as The Telegraph, and was vigourously dismissed by a Cabinet Office insider as well as government digital adviser Martha Lane-Fox, who, in stark contrast, gets a grand total of nothing for her work. Lane-Fox said that the mocking title is mean and misleading.

The salary is only £500 less than that paid to Prime Minister David Cameron, suggesting that this role is a highly valued one. Its presentation by some as a tweeting job, which is part of the role but not entirely accurate, is likely to cause concern among the public over what appears to be an excessive salary.

Even when the reality of the work involved becomes clear, it still brings up the question of why the Government would axe 75 per cent of its websites on the basis of making cost savings, only to pay one individual such a large amount to provide the government with a stronger online presence. µ