Giant Potholes and Councillors Pay

Giant potholes on Glasgow's Napiershall Street which cars, buses and lorries carefully navigate their way around very carefully.

Strangely, and courtesy of the SNP, Glasgow's councillors are in line to receive an eye watering 22% salary increase - while hard pressed council tax payers are being charged even more for fewer and poorer council services.

Bumper 22% Pay Increase For Glasgow Councillors (February 28, 2024)

Scottish council tax payers face the prospect of paying more for fewer, poorer and dearer council services in 2024, yet the SNP is proposing a massive 22% pay increase for Scotland's councillors.

Backbench councillors, ie those without additional council wide responsibilities, are currently paid a salary of £20,099 a year - which is assessed as a part-time (two-thirds of full-time) salary.

But after a hasty salary review and with scant evidence to justify such a move Humza Yousaf is planning to award all backbench councillors a new salary of £24,581 - despite the fact that many of these councillors also have other jobs.

I imagine this will not impress hard-pressed council tax payers or indeed other council employees who are being offered far less generous pay increases.  

The new pay package will cost council tax payers an extra £5,407,028 a year and is being justified on the basis that a big pay rise is needed to attract more women, disabled and younger people into standing for election as councillors.

Which is a load of old baloney - of course.  

Read what Team Yousaf is planning in the following ScotGov report on councillors' remuneration:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/recommendations-councillors-remuneration-expenses/

More to follow.