SNP - Double Dipping and Defending the Indefensible
Back in 2011 John Swinney did the right thing when Glasgow City Council was 'gaming the system' over councillors' pay.
A decade later the SNP is defending the indefensible by turning a blind eye to the practice of local SNP councillors having second or even third jobs with local MSPs and MPs - cosy arrangements which, thanks to the SNP, now lack any independent oversight or regulation.
Here's a reminder from the blog archive of what's been going on in this well organised 'racket'.
SNP - Defending the Indefensible (January 11, 2022)
I have received a reply to my letters to the Deputy First Minister, John Swinney, about the SNP 'gaming the system' on councillors pay.
As expected, John's response (via a civil servant) ignores the elephant in the room and says that MSPs are employers and entitled to employ whomsoever they wish.
Now this is politically dishonest because back in 2011, as SNP finance minister, John Swinney took a very different approach to councillors in Glasgow 'double dipping' and being paid for two public sector jobs at the same time.DIRECTORATE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITIES
DLGC : Local Government and Analytical Services Division
Mark Irvine markirvine@compuserve.com
Our Reference: 202100259997 3 December 2021
Dear Mr Irvine,
Thank you for your emails of 15 November and 30 November to the Deputy First Minister, John Swinney MSP, regarding your concerns about councillors having second jobs working for Glasgow MSPs. I have been asked to respond.
MSPs are employers in their own right and are responsible for the recruitment of their own staff. The examples you have cited in Glasgow and Clackmannanshire are permitted under current rules of recruitment and there is nothing in those rules which prevents councillors, including those in receipt of Special Responsibility Allowances, from having second jobs.
However, it is important to note that councillors are required to declare any remunerated employment in their ‘Register of Interests’. Further information on this can be found in the Councillors’ Code of Conduct. In the event that you believe a councillor has failed to disclose this employment then you should raise a complaint with the Ethical Standards Commissioner (ESC), who investigate complaints about the behaviour of MSPs and councillors. Further information is available on the ESC website.
In terms of councillors’ salaries, the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 (Remuneration) Regulations 2007 set out the framework for paying a salary to councillors. Since May 2017, the pay of councillors has been linked to the pay of Scottish public sector workers. This information is published annually by the Office of National Statistics in the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). This was done in response to a request by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities for the creation of an objective mechanism to determine councillors’ remuneration.
I hope this reply is helpful.
Yours sincerely
Tony Romain
LGAS : Local Government Policy and Relationships Unit