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MLAs offered £3k pay rise
Thursday, 4 December 2008
Assembly members should get a four-year salary deal involving phased payouts totalling £3,000 and annual increases, an official report has recommended.
The study by the independent Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) also said Stormont's First Ministers should get a £4,800 lift in their salaries over the same period, bringing them on a par with Cabinet members in Westminster.
The report was commissioned last year by Secretary of State Peter Hain following the power-sharing devolution deal.
Its recommendations are not binding and will be debated by MLAs in the new year.
Assembly members currently receive £43,381 a year — some 70% of an MP's salary.
The SSRB concluded that this should be gradually raised to 75% of the Commons level over a four year period.
The proposed package would involve annual £500 additions for the first three years, and an estimated £1,500 in the final year. During this period, they would also receive the same percentage annual increases as MPs. The proposals would mean a 3.53% pay rise this year — the first £500 payment plus the latest MP rise of 2.38%.
The overall package, if approved, would involve a much more significant increase over the full four years.
Phased payments totalling £3,000 would put 6.9% on the current MLA salary.
And if MPs receive 2% annual rises during this time, the estimated total package could be worth in the region of 15%.
The SSRB report also recommended phased increases for the First and deputy First Minister to match the Cabinet Minister rate. The First Ministers are currently paid £71,898 on top of their MLA salaries.
If the new proposals are endorsed, their salaries will each rise by £800 a year for three years, and then be hiked by an estimated £2,400 for the fourth year. They would also receive whatever annual increases are awarded to Cabinet ministers,
The report said the final year “catch-up” payments would be conditional on a further independent assessment of the pay levels in 2010.
Varying phased increases are backed in the report for other ministers, the Assembly speaker and committee chairs.
The review body also made a number of cost-pruning proposals and called for a review of double jobbing by politicians.
It said MLAs who are also MPs should have their Assembly-funded office expenses capped at £35,000 a year. It currently sits at almost £73,000.
In addition, the SSRB said the expenses claims of a random sample of 25% of Stormont members should be audited annually.
The pay of Assembly members fell well behind their Scottish and Welsh counterparts during the long suspension of devolution between 2002 and 2007.
The current Edinburgh Parliament rate is £53,091, while members of the Welsh Assembly receive £50,692.
However, Stormont has a much higher ratio of elected politicians per constituents.
Research for the SSRB showed that MLAs are paid £2.66 per constituent, compared to £1.02 for the devolved body in Wales and £1.33 in Scotland. The rate for English MPs is just 62p.
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Personally speaking, after that 150 day debacle of none Executive meetings they don't deserve a penny of it. In the spirit of Catherine Tates character Gran she'd say "Northern Ireland Assembly MLA layabouts? What a pack of xxxxxxx lazy spongers the whole lot of them !"
Posted by TRACY | 04.12.08, 21:31 GMT
In these testing time of financial restraint we have two contrasting stories of inequality that exists between the health workers, and our public representatives, reflecting the social discrimination that exists amongst our public servants relating to the respective unbalanced pay offers that have been put on the table for the MLA’s and the low paid health workers, why should there be a disparity amongst public servants pay rises, there is no reason what so ever, on the one hand we have the “jokes on the hill” being offered what is an embarrassing inflation busting pay offer of 15% over three years, but on the other hand we have the public servants of the Health Service being offered a deflated pay rise of 2% per annum over three years, the Minster of Health must take a moral stand for social justice and put the same offer that he has received on the negotiating table for his Health Service workers who have been historically under paid since the formation of the NHS 50 years ago.
Posted by Billy Tiger's Bay | 04.12.08, 21:14 GMT
"In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting
caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity."
Hunter S. Thompson
Posted by James | 04.12.08, 19:00 GMT
lucky they are not paid by the hour or they would not earn much this year
Posted by sean mc collum | 04.12.08, 18:04 GMT
Billy the Truth: I'm afraid you are absolutely right. The electorate put these wasters into power and they will do so again. We have the clowns in government that we put there.
Posted by windy | 04.12.08, 17:39 GMT
Stop all your whinging, the lot of ye. It was you who voted the bunch of wasters into power. Do you want to hear something so ridiculously funny you won’t believe it? You’ll vote for them again! That’s right, you’ll be stand in the cold while they smirk at you, telling you its all in the name of democracy. (Oh yes you will!) At least Dick Turpin had the decency to wear a mask when he was robbing people….
Posted by billy for the truth | 04.12.08, 14:15 GMT
I think there is a lot of mindless begrudging towards these fine men and women getting more money for all the hard and unappreciative work they do. It can’t be easy, all those social functions, free food and liquor, and of course holidays with family members – I mean business trips. And ‘earning’ all that money brings its own problem such as where to invest it. Besides, we would only pump the money into schools and nursing and other relevant professions. We can’t be too sensible at this time of year. It is the time for giving, after all (and taking)…
Posted by sam millar | 04.12.08, 14:10 GMT
Disgrace, when so many people have no work, and when the Health service are putting the elderly out of Homes in Co.Down
Posted by Mary | 04.12.08, 13:30 GMT
Snouts in the moolah again. When can we rid ourselves of this band of scivers.
Posted by taxpayer | 04.12.08, 12:51 GMT
can someone with any wit explain to us why they need the pay rise? and can someone explain why while they where not working they where still getting paid? and if any mla posts come up can i have job being a mla
Posted by william | 04.12.08, 12:46 GMT
They're ALREADY overpaid! Then when they don't like something about the job, they can walk out for a few montrhs on full pay!
This lot are having a laugh - at our expense!
Posted by Centaur | 04.12.08, 12:45 GMT
Absolute disgrace- the rest of us have no work-we're in poverty! And these bums are gettin rewarded for doin nothin. There no justice in thi9s ill divided world.
Posted by Michael | 04.12.08, 11:07 GMT
Maybe its time all MLAs have a social, moral and legal contract with all of the people of Northern Ireland.
Posted by Philip McNeill | 04.12.08, 10:59 GMT
No this isn't for real, is it? You can't be serious! Since the assembly has been established they have done a fraction of what they were supposed to do. Don't get me wrong either, no offence but according to the article they want to be more in line with other UK areas, I'm surprised that Sinn Féin don't want their salaries to be more in line with the Irish Goverment? United Ireland and all that in mind. Oh yes thats right, the irish goverment are currently on a pay freeze because of the european RESESSION!
I agree with Marie, reduce the numbers, light a fire under them, make them fight for the 40 jobs. Then I'll be happy to give them the pay increase.
Posted by Neil | 04.12.08, 09:56 GMT
MLA's cannot expect to receive similar salaries to Scottish and Welsh assembly members until they offer the same level of service. This will require two things to occur - firstly they must prove that they will put the day to day running of the country to the fore and not allow divisional party agendas to freeze the assembly as has occurred for too long this year. Secondly, they must reduce the number of MLA's. It is not financially feasible to continue with the level of representation currently in place. As seen in the Republic of Ireland, greedy self serving politicians are not the best placed to manage the economy of a country and their actions usually lead to massive job cuts and the man on the street being hit in the pockets (in our case this will not be through taxes but through our rates). Double jobbing MP/MLA's also need to have their salaries reduced to reflect that they cannot earn 2 salaries for what is effectively one job.
Posted by Steven | 04.12.08, 08:46 GMT
i am delighted mlas are getting a pay rise , if i was in charge i would cut the numbers and make them retire at 65, the welsh asembley have 60 members for a population of 3 million people we have 108 members for 1.75 million people so for the ratio of people we should have under 40 mla,s .now we have mr robinson and mr mc guiness telling us they only want to attend the assembly once every 2 months this is people who did not attend for 5 months( nice work if you can get it ) most people could live on an mla,s expenses, and the laughable part is any pay rise they vote on wether to accept it
Posted by marie | 04.12.08, 07:19 GMT