Brass Necks, Public Money and Councillors' Pay

I've written to all elected members of Glasgow City Council regarding the use of public money to boost the pay of councillors who already have senior council roles, responsibilities and full-time salaries.

Now this is a clear breach of the national scheme covering councillors' salaries in Scotland.

So I'll be interested to see if any of the politicians involved have the brass neck to try and justify these payments as an appropriate use of public money.

Dear Glasgow Councillor

Public Money and Councillors Pay

I wrote to the Deputy First Minister, John Swinney, recently and a copy of my letter is attached for your information.

As a member of SLARC in 2011, I was involved in drawing John Swinney's attention to the scam of 'top up' payments being made to elected councillors in Glasgow, who sat on various council ALEOs.

The situation in Glasgow in 2021 is that some councillors with senior roles, responsibilities and full-time salaries also have paid second jobs outside of the council.  

For me the issue is very simple - a councillor with a full-time, senior role cannot be fully focused and do their job properly, if they also have other paid employment which makes significant demands on their time. 

If any elected member wishes to job share a senior councillor role, in order to free up time for other activities (paid or unpaid), that is something for local negotiation, albeit within the principles of the nationally agreed councillors' salary scheme which was devised by SLARC back in 2006/07.     

I have raised two specific Glasgow examples with the Deputy First Minister and there may be others that come to light in the days ahead. In the meantime, I plan to raise these issues through other channels.

I have to say I find it unconscionable that senior councillors are having their pay artificially boosted in this way, especially when Glasgow City Council has still to resolve its equal pay fiasco and at a time when Scotland's council workers are being offered a pay increase which is well below the rate of inflation. 

A number of people have already come forward with helpful information and if there is anything you would like to share, in strict  confidence of course, please contact me by email at - markirvine@compuserve.com or via my mobile on 07947 795222

Kind regards

Mark Irvine

Dear Mr Swinney

Glasgow - Gaming the System on Councillors' Salaries 

I am sure you remember taking decisive action as Finance Minister back in 2011 to end the scandal of 'top up' payments that Glasgow City Council was making to elected councillors who sat on various council ALEOs (Arms Length External Organisations) - in addition to their nationally agreed salaries.

As you know, this abuse of public money was drawn to your attention by SLARC (Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee) which uncovered what was going on during one of its visits with GCC officials and the council's elected leader at the time, Gordon Matheson.

SLARC advised the Scottish Government that Glasgow's 'top up' scheme was just a scam to boost the pay of elected councillors (across all parties) which contravened the Scotland wide scheme covering councillors' salaries and expenses.

A different scam has now emerged which involves Glasgow MSPs topping up the salaries of certain Glasgow councillors by employing them in their local constituency offices, despite the fact that the individuals concerned already enjoy full-time salaries with the City Council.

I am raising these matters with you as Deputy First Minister because SLARC was abolished by your successor Derek Mackay and, as a result, there is no longer an independent public body providing oversight and advising Scottish Ministers. 

The two specific examples I wish to draw to your attention involve Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow Southside and Cllr Mhairi Hunter - along with Humza Yousaf, MSP for Glasgow Pollok and Cllr Jennifer Leyden.

I enclose a copy of my 2013 resignation letter from SLARC which warned about the dangers of abolishing independent oversight of councillor salaries. I also enclose copies of my letters to Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf, the MSPs for Glasgow Southside and Glasgow Pollok respectively

I look forward to hearing from you and would be happy to provide any further information you require. 

Kind regards

Mark Irvine 

Letter of resignation to Derek Mackay - Finance Minister

28 January 2013

Derek Mackay

Local Government and Planning Minister

Scottish Government

Victoria Quay

Edinburgh

EH6 6QQ

By e-mail

Dear Mr Mackay

Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee (SLARC)

I would like to inform you that I am resigning my membership of the Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee (SLARC) with immediate effect.

My reason for doing so is that under your stewardship, as Local Government and Planning Minister, SLARC has effectively been allowed to wither and die, despite its track record of success in creating an effective remuneration scheme for elected  councillors in Scotland - a task which defeated at least two previous Government appointed advisory bodies, i.e. the Sewell and Kerley Commissions.

I have to say that I am very disappointed in your lack of support for SLARC and, in particular, for the committee’s robust and independent role on remuneration issues which, in my view, has been the key to SLARC's success with members being appointed only for their independence of mind and thought, and without any regard to politics or political affiliation.

For example, SLARC was instrumental in bringing the issue of 'top-up' payments to arm's length bodies in Glasgow City Council to the attention of the Scottish Government and this practice, widely regarded as a waste of public money and flagrant abuse of the remuneration scheme, was finally outlawed by the Finance Secretary, John Swinney, after a detailed investigation and report to Scottish Ministers by SLARC.

I think it is fair to say that without SLARC the abuse of the remuneration scheme in Glasgow, which ran to hundreds of thousands of pounds of course, would almost certainly have gone unnoticed and unchallenged.

One of SLARC's greatest strengths has been its practice of engaging in an ongoing dialogue with the stakeholders in Scottish local government, which included regular visits to local councils, to discuss the effectiveness of the councillors' remuneration scheme.

The great majority of SLARC'S visits to local councils were very positive, but the practice of gathering information and asking probing questions of councils played a crucial role in bringing the scandal of Glasgow's ALEO payments to public attention.

So, I find it difficult to understand your evident lack of support for an independent body dealing with remuneration issues which has, in recent times, meant that the members of the committee have not been replaced as they finish their terms of office, preventing valuable experience and expertise from being passed on and used, in future, to good effect. But the long, slow process of appointing new Members to SLARC has not even begun, as you know, which in my view tells its own story about your future intentions.

I know that you have stated in previous correspondence with SLARC that you are considering a different approach, albeit without explaining exactly what this new approach entails. In my view any departure from having an independent body deal with remuneration issues will be a retrograde step, especially if Government policy is changed without initiating a proper debate in the Scottish Parliament, which established SLARC in the first place.

Kind regards

Mark Irvine

Letter to Nicola Sturgeon - MSP for Glasgow Southside

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Irvine <markirvine@compuserve.com>
To: nicola.sturgeon.msp@parliament.scot <nicola.sturgeon.msp@parliament.scot>
Sent: Thu, Sep 30, 2021 5:12 pm
Subject: Public Money and SNP Politicians

Dear Ms Sturgeon

Public Money and SNP Politicians

I understand that a Glasgow councillor with a full-time role in Glasgow City Council is also employed in your Glasgow Southside local constituency office.

I would be grateful if you can explain the nature of the councillor's employment in your office - including the time commitment involved and cost to the public purse?

Because it seems extraordinary that a public official is able to draw two public salaries at the same time, especially if one of the roles (eg council role) has already been classified as a full-time commitment and paid accordingly.

I realise, of course, that I am not one of your constituents, but nonetheless I hope you will respond to my enquiry because the issues involved are obviously of much wider public concern. 

I look forward to your reply.

Mark Irvine

Letter to Humza Yousaf - MSP for Glasgow Pollok

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Irvine <markirvine@compuserve.com>
To: humza.yousaf.msp@parliament.scot <humza.yousaf.msp@parliament.scot>
Sent: Thu, Sep 30, 2021 5:13 pm
Subject: Public Money and SNP Politicians

Dear Mr Yousaf

Public Money and SNP Politicians

I understand that a Glasgow councillor with a full-time role in Glasgow City Council is also employed in your Glasgow Pollok local constituency office.

I would be grateful if you can explain the nature of the councillor's employment in your office - including the time commitment involved and cost to the public purse?

Because it seems extraordinary that a public official is able to draw two public salaries at the same time, especially if one of the roles (eg council role) has already been classified as a full-time commitment and paid accordingly.

I realise, of course, that I am not one of your constituents, but nonetheless I hope you will respond to my enquiry because the issues involved are obviously of much wider public concern. 

I look forward to your reply.

Mark Irvine