Openness, Transparency and Local Government
Here's a post from the blog archive regarding the entries made by elected councillors to the Register of Interests in Glasgow City Council.
Now this requires updating, but the entries were accurate in May 2021.
Cllr Spear (Chair of Education), for example, has updated her entry to show that she now receives remuneration from Aamer Anwar & Co for 'ad hoc legal work' although I'm not sure if this is in addition to, or instead of, a previous entry which registered "Air BnB: irregular income from spare bedroom".
A Register of Interests is intended to bring transparency and openness into Scottish local government, so the public can have confidence there are no questionable or dubious interests influencing their elected politicians.
But the register in Glasgow, as in other Scottish councils, lacks detail in many areas and is not checked, queried or overseen by any independent body since the SNP abolished SLARC (Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee) in 2013.
Glasgow Councillors - Register of Interests (October 25, 2021)
Here's a post from the blog archive which details the entries made by SNP councillors in Glasgow City Council's 'Register of Interests'.
Very little detail is provided about the time commitment involved and the earnings councillors' receive working for friendly SNP MSPs and MPs.
Although Cllr Christine Cannon, for example, appears to have worked for no less than four Glasgow MSPs and MPs during the period from October 2019 to January 2021.
Sounds to me like a system crying out for greater openness and transparency.
Glasgow - Transparent, My Arse! (May 03, 2021)
Here's a list of the entries for SNP councillors on Glasgow city council's Register of Interests.
The register is intended to aid 'transparency' and should explain councillors' salaries, as well as details of any other paid employment, but the information provided by Scotland's biggest council is a joke.
Most of the SNP councillors don't bother to register their basic councillor's salary - everyone receives a minimum of £17,845 which was set as a part-time 'two thirds' salary.
Senior councillors are paid significantly more as these are regarded as full-time roles which carry significant additional responsibilities in some cases - up to a maximum salary in Glasgow of £53,567 for the Council Leader.
So a 'basic' or backbench councillor is paid an hourly rate of around £15.00 an hour (£17,845) with senior councillors being paid anywhere between £15.00 and £30 an hour.
Until 2013 councillors' salaries and expenses were overseen by an independent watchdog (SLARC) which reported directly to Scottish Ministers, but the committee was stood down by the SNP's finance secretary, Derek Mackay.
As readers can see for themselves the amount of information supplied by Glasgow's Register of Interests is very sparse - no details ate all are provided to explain the level of commitment or remuneration involved when it comes to outside work.
12 SNP councillors have (or had) second jobs with SNP MSPs or MPs - some have outside employment even though they are paid for carrying out a full-time councillor role.
Glasgow's Registers of Interests (for individual councillors) can be viewed via the link below, but this does not specify the salaries assigned to backbench and senior councillors - this information is held in a separate document.
More details and comment will follow.
https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=22506
Susan Aitken (Langside - 7)
Remuneration
1) Leader of Glasgow City Council - £50,783
Ken Andrew (Hillhead - 11)
Remuneration
1) No councillor's salary declared
Malcolm Balfour (Drumchapel/Anniesland - 14)
Remuneration
1) No councillor's salary declared
Elaine Ballantyne (Baillieston - 20)
Remuneration
1) No councillor's salary declared
2) University of Glasgow (ended 31 March 2020 none listed; Kensington Taxis (one black Hackney taxi)
Alexander Belic (Southside Central - 8)
Remuneration
1) No councillor's salary declared
2) I am employed by Alison Thewliss MP in her Glasgow Central constituency office as a caseworker on a part-time basis.
Richard Bell (Govan - 5)
Remuneration
1) No councillor's salary declared
2) Bell & Felix, Cafe Bistro, Owner/Managing Director
Eva Bolander (Anderson/City/Yorkhill - 10)
Remuneration
1) No councillor's salary declared
2) Bestla Design, self employed: Web design and related services
3) Aloe 4 Ever Scotland, self employed: independent distributor
4) Carol Monaghan MP: MP's constituency office:Office Manager, employed up to 17 May 2017.5) Employed part time by Sandra White MSP, 1274 Argyle Street, G3 8AA
Remuneration
1) No councillor's salary declared
2) The office of Anne McLaughlin MP, Communities and Fundraising Officer - Constituency & House of Commons - ended August 2017
Christina Cannon (Springburn/Robroyston - 17)
Remuneration
1) No councillor's salary declared
2) Caseworker at the office of Humza Yousaf MSP - £24,000 pro rata - October 2019 - December 2020
3) Office of Anne McLaughlin - £8,800 PA - 17 January 2020 - 31 December 20203) David Linden MP for Glasgow East - Constituency Caseworker (approx 16 hrs per week) - employment ceased 2 February 2018
