THE SCOTTISH Government’s policy of not giving annual pay increases to ministers has been branded “bonkers” by an SNP MSP.
Convenor of the Finance and Public Administration Committee, Kenneth Gibson, told Finance Secretary Shona Robison that the Government’s failure to increase salaries for ministers was “ludicrous”.
The freeze in ministerial pay has been a long-standing policy for the SNP government at Holyrood.
Pressing Robison on the issue as she appeared before his committee, Gibson stressed the importance of flexibility in the policy.
“If it is a one-, two-, three-year thing in times of crisis, I think everybody accepts that. But you bring in policies like this ludicrous policy the government has of not giving ministers a pay rise for 17 years or whatever it is."
He added: "It is just bonkers, really, let’s be honest.”
Responding to the MSP for Cunninghame North, Robison said: “I’ll not comment on this issue of ministerial pay.”
Gibson told the Finance Secretary that “many” of her government colleagues had commented “privately”.
He continued: “People are just bewildered by it, frankly, and the government occasionally has to revisit policies, they shouldn’t be in tablets of stone.”
The voluntary pay freeze means members of the Scottish Government are paid at 2008-9 levels, with a cabinet secretary receiving £96,999 while a minister earns £81,449.
The reduction is taken from net pay and returned to the Scottish Government to be made available for public spending.
MSPs however are set to receive a pay rise of more 3.2% in 2025, totalling at over £2000 per year.
The total cost of MSP salaries and associated taxes is expected to rise by £645,000 to almost £15.3m, including an extra £200k due to an increase in employers' National Insurance.
Ministers are entitled to extra money on top of the base rate but since April 2009 have declined to accept their full entitlement, so take home pay remains at 2008/9 levels.
