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No ban on MLAs employing family in new expenses rules
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
New Assembly expenses rules place no restrictions on MLAs employing family members, the Belfast Telegraph has learned — a move that will put Stormont out of step with its counterparts in Westminster and Edinburgh.
Under new rules being introduced at the House of Commons, MPs will be limited to one relative on their payrolls.
The Scottish Parliament is moving towards barring any employment of family members by its members by 2015.
But an updated expenses rulebook being prepared at Stormont is expected to have nothing to say on the subject.
Assembly sources have made clear that the issue is not on the agenda.
Stormont figures show that 36 MLAs employ relatives on their staff teams, paying them from taxpayer-funded expenses they receive to run their offices.
A total of nine Northern Ireland MPs in the now dissolved Westminster Parliament had family members working for them.
Last year a review on MP expenses recommended a ban on this practice. But a limit of one related employee per MP has been decided on. A Scottish Parliament spokesman said a complete ban on its politicians will take effect in five years.
A review of expenses in the Welsh Assembly backed off from prohibition. But it said members recruiting relatives in future would have to demonstrate “by a fair and transparent process” that they are the “best candidate for the job”.
A number of Stormont politicians would be affected if the limit of one relative was extended here.
The current Assembly register of interests lists eight MLAs with more than one family member on their staff teams.
These MLAs record the following information in their register declarations:
Rev Robert Coulter (UUP, North Antrim) — employs his wife as a part- time secretary and diary secretary and his son as researcher and Press secretary.
William Irwin (DUP, Newry and Armagh) — employs two daughters, one as a part-time office assistant and one as a full-time office assistant.
Ian McCrea (DUP, Mid-Ulster) — employs his wife as a part-time secretary and his brother-in-law as a researcher and personal secretary.
Adrian McQuillan (DUP, East Londonderry) — employs his sister-in-law as a researcher/office manager and his aunt as a part-time secretary.
Robin Newton (DUP, East Belfast) — employs his son as a researcher/constituency worker and his wife as a secretary/office manager.
George Robinson (DUP, East Londonderry) — employs his son as a personal assistant, secretary and office manager and, jointly with two other MLAs, employs his nephew as a researcher.
Ken Robinson (UUP, East Antrim) — employs his wife as a secretary/admin assistant and his son as a research assistant/constituency advisor.
George Savage (UUP, Upper Bann) — employs wife as an office manager and daughter-in-law as an office assistant.
Almost 30 other MLAs employ a relative. Three DUP MPs in the last Parliament — Peter Robinson, Iris Robinson and Ian Paisley snr — had more than one relative on their Commons payrolls.
Meanwhile, DUP colleague Rev Willie McCrea has employed a daughter within his Assembly staff and his son Stephen from his MP staffing expenses.
Mr Paisley’s MP staff team included daughters Cherith and Rhonda and son Ian jnr, who worked part-time for his father on top of his own job as MLA.
Mr Robinson’s MP support staff included son and daughter Gareth and Rebekah, while Mrs Robinson’s team included their other son Jonathan plus his wife Ellen in a part-time capacity.
After Mrs Robinson quit as MP, Ellen and Jonathan found work with new DUP Strangford MLA Jonathan Bell.
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Comments
30 Comments
Darius, you do not allow for the fact that NI is no longer made up of simply nationalists and loyalists...the demographics have and are changing and it is migrants such as myself who are changing them. I am Australian and spent the 70's and 80's watching Paisley on the tv news shouting through a loudspeaker. I also watched riots and British soldiers being killed in nightclub bombings and being lynched in their cars. I am neither nationalist or loyalist so neither issue - and certainly not that of a united Ireland - will influence how I vote, and I am sure other migrants living here will think the same way. I would never vote DUP and nor would I lower myself to vote for Sinn Fein. Politics here will need to reflect the fact that the face of NI population is changing and those coming here to live are not concerned about the old arguments but about education, jobs, transport, health.
Posted by WJ | 29.04.10, 07:11 GMT
If they want people to stay at home next thursday, there will now be a low poll
Posted by glen | 28.04.10, 10:21 GMT
This will not cause any problem for the DUP. The loyalist population are not intelligent enough to see past the flag that is being waved. These nepotic politicians just laugh at the people of the Shankill, Rathcoole, Sandy Row , East Belfast etc.
Vote DUP as usual !!!! You deserve them.
Posted by Darius | 28.04.10, 01:25 GMT
classic stuff....if it wasn't so shameful it would be funny
Posted by Dessie | 27.04.10, 19:36 GMT
Why wpuld I let my family be unemployed when they are qualified to work for me. Or should I advertise and then be sued for discrimination or have maybe a spy in my camp
Posted by fred needham | 27.04.10, 19:30 GMT
The Fair Employment Commission should investigate all instances of family members in the employment of MLA's. The law of the land says all appointments have to abide by the law and this includes politicans. Any appointments made in breach of the Fair Employment legislation should be brought before the courts as would happen to any other employer.
Posted by D. McClean | 27.04.10, 19:01 GMT
Was Jim Allister employing any members of his family whenever he was MEP?????
Posted by A. GEEZER | 27.04.10, 17:16 GMT
not really surprised they are still
trying to fleece the electorate -
after all they claimed for dishcloths and fairy liquid and hotel movies-
will give them a miss next thursday
Posted by LEN | 27.04.10, 16:47 GMT
What should be done inorder to discourage politicians from having several different public jobs at the same time whether it be member of the Assembly, the locoal Council, Westminster, or a Government Minister is to say that they can have only one salary and the salary can be that of the highest paid job. And not of course receive all the salaries.
Sometimes have double or more jobs can have a conflict of interest and in any event how can they give adequate time to them all at the same time. Other people ought to be given a chance !
Posted by Harold James Norwood | 27.04.10, 16:35 GMT
within 10 years NI will be the most corrupt state in Europe. Italy will have nothing on us.
Posted by paul stevenson | 27.04.10, 12:44 GMT
Surely this must breach some Fair Employment or EU employment legislation.
Newton has just lost my vote.
Posted by Gwrinkle | 27.04.10, 12:42 GMT
Someday soon, the revolution will be televised.
Posted by WH | 27.04.10, 12:15 GMT
And wasn't it so fortunate that both Ellen and Jonathan Robinson 'found work' with another DUP MLA so quickly?? Is there no limit to the arrogance and self-serving of the DUP, matched only by their obvious assumption that the electorate aren't intelligent enough to notice what has been going on and/or really don't mind it. The double jobbing, the expenses, the nepotism in their staffing arrangements, and the selection of a second or third family member to contest seats - which peaked with the selection of the mediocre Mrs Dodds for the European election - all are indicative of the contempt they hold for the electorate, a contempt that is, ironically, richly deserved by those who continue to vote for them.
Posted by Hugh Mungus | 27.04.10, 11:56 GMT
Given that Willie McCrea has employed his daughter within his Assembly staff and his son from his MP staffing expenses. And that his son Ian McCrea (DUP, Mid-Ulster) employs his wife as a part-time secretary and his brother-in-law as a researcher and personal secretary. Were these posts advertised to the wider community or just around the McCrea family dinner table?
Posted by Neil McNickle | 27.04.10, 11:54 GMT
Don't forget to over react.
Posted by Gareth | 27.04.10, 11:47 GMT
Oink! Oink! Oink!
Posted by Jim | 27.04.10, 11:38 GMT
Yep, keep all that lovely taxpayers money in the family eh guys...?
There should be a law against these people employing their money-grabbing spouses, kids and relatives...what a rort!!!
Posted by Merry | 27.04.10, 11:32 GMT
well its fairly straightforward if you dont vote for these parasites the paty is over for them. if you do vote them in then as always the voter has only themselves to blame.no is your chance to end this fiasco.
Posted by michael | 27.04.10, 11:02 GMT
another slap in the face to the voters these jobs should be open to the public and if you are a member of a mla family you cannot apply if any one l
Posted by jim | 27.04.10, 10:45 GMT
Typical, jobs for the boys. It would be interesting to see how many of these family members would meet the expected criteria for their roles. Surely this is a breach of employment law if nothing else?
Surely these positions could be filled by the thousands of highly skilled graduates our universities produce, who are unemployed because their stormont government hasn't the brains required to attract inward investment.
Posted by Conrad | 27.04.10, 10:21 GMT
30 Comments