Top Ups Turned Off
The Herald reports today that outgoing finance secretary - John Swinney - has finally lost patience with Glasgow City Council - over controversial 'top up' salary payments to some of its local councillors - which cost council tax payers £260,000 a year.
Here's an extract of the article written by Gerry Braiden:
"Finance Secretary John Swinney has confirmed he will use legislation to end the controversial system of payments to Glasgow councillors sitting on the boards of hived-off bodies if the SNP is re-elected next month.
Mr Swinney said secondary legislation would be used to bring the appointments and payments into line with the Local Governance (Scotland) Act, warning that as the city council’s Labour administration has failed to act on recommendations to scrap the Aleo (arm’s-length external organisations) payments a new SNP government would “take what action is necessary”.
The Herald reported yesterday how Glasgow’s system of “patronage” payments for councillors, a legacy of former leader Steven Purcell, has come in for renewed criticism amid cross-party moves for a fresh allocation of lucrative posts on outside bodies.
Council leader Gordon Matheson has come under fire as the organisation continues to pay councillors for sitting on the boards of Aleos, which sees some councillors with little experience earn up to nearly £20,000 on top of a basic £18,000-a-year salary.
The head of the independent body charged with setting payments with Scottish local government called on Glasgow to address the practice “before it gets any worse”.
Yesterday, Mr Swinney said: “An independent review has said this system of payments should end and as Glasgow Labour haven’t put a stop to it voluntarily a re-elected SNP government will take what action is necessary in Parliament to bring Glasgow into line and put a stop to this £260,000 of unnecessary payments.”
Labour leaders in Glasgow had a chance to put their own house in order - but they failed to take the decisive action needed.
So John Swinney deserves credit for stepping in and saying that a future SNP government will put a stop to this nonsense.
Here's an extract of the article written by Gerry Braiden:
"Finance Secretary John Swinney has confirmed he will use legislation to end the controversial system of payments to Glasgow councillors sitting on the boards of hived-off bodies if the SNP is re-elected next month.
Mr Swinney said secondary legislation would be used to bring the appointments and payments into line with the Local Governance (Scotland) Act, warning that as the city council’s Labour administration has failed to act on recommendations to scrap the Aleo (arm’s-length external organisations) payments a new SNP government would “take what action is necessary”.
The Herald reported yesterday how Glasgow’s system of “patronage” payments for councillors, a legacy of former leader Steven Purcell, has come in for renewed criticism amid cross-party moves for a fresh allocation of lucrative posts on outside bodies.
Council leader Gordon Matheson has come under fire as the organisation continues to pay councillors for sitting on the boards of Aleos, which sees some councillors with little experience earn up to nearly £20,000 on top of a basic £18,000-a-year salary.
The head of the independent body charged with setting payments with Scottish local government called on Glasgow to address the practice “before it gets any worse”.
Yesterday, Mr Swinney said: “An independent review has said this system of payments should end and as Glasgow Labour haven’t put a stop to it voluntarily a re-elected SNP government will take what action is necessary in Parliament to bring Glasgow into line and put a stop to this £260,000 of unnecessary payments.”
Labour leaders in Glasgow had a chance to put their own house in order - but they failed to take the decisive action needed.
So John Swinney deserves credit for stepping in and saying that a future SNP government will put a stop to this nonsense.
