Fair Questions, Social Media and Nicola Sturgeon
I asked Nicola to explain how her office assistant managed to hold down three publicly funded jobs at once - see posts below.
In 2021 Mhairi Hunter had a full-time role as an elected and senior councillor in Glasgow, another 1 day a week role on Glasgow's health board - yet still had time to hold down another significant job in Nicola's local constituency office.
Strangely no one, not even Nicola herself, would explain how it was possible to do all three jobs at the same time.
It's A Fair Question - Not A Trick Question, Nicola! (May 05, 2022)
A 'what's it got to do with you?' culture surrounds SNP politicians these days - they don't like being asked awkward questions.
But I think we are entitled to know how Cllr Mhairi Hunter manages her Glasgow council job which is paid a full-time salary and another paid NHS role (1 day a week) - while drawing a third public salary as Office Assistant for Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP MSP and Scotland's first minister.
Transparent and Accountable - Who's Kidding Who? (February 26, 2022)
SNP politicians are forever boasting about their support for openness and transparency.
But when the chips are down the SNP are every bit as secretive, defensive and reluctant to be held accountable - just as Labour run Glasgow City Council were in 2011 and as the Westminster Tories are now.
Take my perfectly reasonable requests to Nicola Sturgeon and her 'office assistant', Cllr Mhairi Hunter.
I wrote to Nicola Sturgeon asking how she could justify using public money in this way when Cllr Hunter already had a well paid, full-time job as a senior councillor at SNP led Glasgow City Council.
No Answer.
I also wrote to Cllr Hunter directly asking broadly the same question because her role as a Council Convener is a city wide responsibility and is not restricted to her local ward of Southside Central.
No answer.
Now I think politicians should be held to account for their behaviour and use of public money which is why we are entitled to see what salaries and expenses councillors, MSPs, MPs get paid.
Politicians are also required to declare other interests and connections which must be registered and are subject to further scrutiny, as necessary.
So how can it be fair or reasonable to hide and withhold this particular information from public view and scrutiny?
Other council workers, indeed other public sector workers, would not be allowed to behave in this way - there would be questions asked and rightly so, if they sought work or were required to work excessive/impossible hours.
Ironically, a row broke out recently over the hours a Green Minister, Lorna Slater, was being asked/expected to work at COP26 which lasted just two weeks!
In any event, there's more than one way to skin a cat and there's still plenty of time between now and the Glasgow council elections in May to keep highlighting the SNP's hypocrisy on this issue.
Who's Kidding Who? (December 13, 2021)
A number of my regular blog readers have asked how Cllr Mhairi Hunter can be doing all her publicly funded jobs at the same time.
I don't know, is the honest answer - seems impossible to me and although I have written to Cllr Hunter and her boss (Nicola Sturgeon) so far neither of them seems too willing to explain what is going on.
I did check on what health board members get paid and the answer is that their remuneration of £8,842 is based on a time commitment of 52 days per year or an average of 8 hours per week.
So that's a full-time role as a Convener in Glasgow City Council (@£28,000 plus expenses), another day a week at Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS (@£9,000) - a running total of @£37,000 - and still Cllr Hunter has had time to spend at Nicola Sturgeon's office in Glasgow Southside.
Who's kidding who?
