SNP, Councillors Pay and 'Gaming the System'


The bumper pay rise being proposed for Scotland's local councillors was actually dreamt up while Humza Yousaf was First Minister, as this post from the blog archive explains.

I imagine the idea for such an eye-watering increase was quietly dropped in the run-up to July's UK general election although the timing now is even worse since SNP ministers keep telling us they have no more money to spare.

Yet the cost of this new pay scheme has already jumped from £5.4 million to £8 million a year - in the space of just a few months.

Even more ludicrously while many local councillors have second jobs the new ScotGov scheme will place them all on full-time salaries. 

More to follow.


 

£5.4 Million Pay Rise For Local Councillors (March 06, 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 local 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.

 

Popular posts from this blog

Kentucky Fried Seagull

Hugh Fearnley Whitingstall is one of my favourite - and endearingly bonkers - TV chefs. The River Cottage chef has a some imaginative ideas for adding seagulls to the national diet - including a recipe for Kentucky Fried Seagull - would you believe. Here's what HFW has to say on the subjecy -  I think I'll contact Hugh - and ask if he'll join the TAPAS campaign. "Vermin with wings? Chicken of the sea? Or just an opportunity missed?" "First and foremost, before we all go on a mad seagull killing frenzy. In the U.K it is against the law to kill seagulls or interfere with their nests under the countryside and wildlife act. Some Councils are allowed to cull them however, and usually do this by either poisoning or shooting them. How to catch your seagull. Remember this is against the law in the U.K. I don't want the Men in Blue knocking at the door because someone said that Foodimum told them it was okay to catch and eat seagulls. It isn't... P
Read more

SNP Hypocrites Have No Shame

Image
Hi. https://t.co/yuA2cY109e — Brian Spusk (@BrianSpanner1) December 16, 2022 Brian Spanner (aka Brian Spusk) shares a tweet from the SNP's chief executive and husband of SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon) criticising secretive party donations. What a complete hoot - these hypocrites have no shame! Peter Murrell  @PeterMurrell "Anonymous political donations supposed to be a thing of the past. Yet Scottish Tories pocketed £319,000 from secretive trust with no fixed address or known current trustees. @Conservatives legally responsible for checking true identity of donors before accepting cash. #DarkMoney "  
Read more

SNP - 'Mr&Mrs' Politburo

Image
Jim Sillars is spot on about the dreadful personality cult which allowed Peter Murrell and Nicola Sturgeon to run the SNP as a 'Mr & Mrs' tag team for years. What's astonishing is that SNP members - party activists, councillors, MSPs and MPs - turned a blind eye to things for so long  which helps explain why the SNP is in such a terrible mess today.
Read more