SNP's Pay Priorities - Are All Wrong

SNP ministers provided 100% of the money needed to fund  a big 5.2% (across the board) pay increase for Scottish councillors this year - on top of a 4.2% rise last year.

Here's what this big pay increase means for senior councillor salaries in Glasgow which range from £28,144 to £58,719 for the GCC Leader, Cllr Susan Aitken.

Now take the Convener for Neighbourhood Services (Cllr Ruari Kelly, I believe) who is paid a decent salary of £36,969 a year - in recognition of the additional responsibilities involved in his full-time convener's role.

But how can it possibly be fair for Cllr Kelly to be awarded a 5.2% pay increase - when council employees on the same salary are being offered so much less? 

The answer is, of course, that it's not remotely fair for some council workers to be regarded as more equal and more deserving than others.

The SNP is wrong to fully fund a pay rise for elected councillors while refusing to do the same for council workers who kept vital local services going though the Covid pandemic.

Senior Councillors’ Allowances 2022/23 as at May 2022 

Senior Councillors Remuneration 

1 Deputy Leader and City Treasurer and Convenor for Financial Inclusion - £43,132 

2 Business Manager and Convenor for Open Government - £43,132 

3 Deputy Lord Provost - £32,960 

4 Convenor for Culture, Sport and International Relations (and Chair of Glasgow Life) - £36,969 

5 Convenor of Education, Communities and Equalities - £36,969 

6 Convenor for Neighbourhood Services and Assets - £36,969 

7 Convenor for Workforce and Homelessness and addiction Services - £36,969 

8 Convenor for Climate, Glasgow Green Deal, Transport and City Centre Recovery - £36,969 

9 Convenor for Housing, Development, Built Heritage and Land Use - £36,969 

10 Convenor for Health, Care and Caring and Older People (and Chair or Vice Chair of IJB) - £28,144 

11 Convenor of Contracts and Property Committee - £28,144 

12 Convenor of Neighbourhoods and Housing and Public Realm City Policy Committee - £28,144 

13 Convenor of Wellbeing, Empowerment, Community and Citizen Engagement and General Purposes City Policy Committee - £28,144 

14 Convenor of Environment and Sustainability and Carbon Reduction City Policy Committee - £28,144 

15 Convenor of Education, Skills and Early Years City Policy Committee - £28,144 

16 Convenor of Net Zero and Climate Progress Monitoring City Policy Committee - £28,144 

17 Convenor of Finance and Audit Scrutiny Committee - £28,144 

18 Convenor of Operational Performance and Delivery Scrutiny Committee - £28,144 

19 Convenor of Licensing and Regulatory Committee - £28,144 

20 Convenor of Planning Applications Committee - £28,144 

21 Chair of Licensing - £28,144 

22 Leader of Opposition (Labour) - £28,144 

23 Co-Leader of Green Group - £28,144 

TOTAL £735,054 

Total Budget available (maximum 24) £763,320

Plus Council Leader and Civic Head 

Cllr Susan Aitken (SNP) - Leader and Convenor for City and City Region Economy and Just Transition - £58,719 

Cllr Jacqueline McLaren - Civic Head £44,039 

Total £102,758