Tuesday, December 22, 2015
New remuneration board confirms unacceptable pay rise for AMs
I suppose it was a bit much to expect the new Assembly Remuneration Board to be any more in-touch and sensitive to public opinion than its predecessor and so it has proved.
The chair of the board has written to the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats to say that she is not minded to revisit the decision to give AMs a disproportionate £10,000 pay rise and that she envisages this being paid when the Senedd reconvenes after the May election..
What is worse, she has written to all Assembly Members to say that they will not be allowed to take a lesser salary. In other words they are going to force the money on us, whatever we say.
Many, like me will give the pay rise away. However, surely the time has come to review the terms of reference of the Remuneration Board to ensure that one of the factors they have to take into account when setting salaries is public opinion. That seems to be the only way to make them sit up and listen.
The chair of the board has written to the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats to say that she is not minded to revisit the decision to give AMs a disproportionate £10,000 pay rise and that she envisages this being paid when the Senedd reconvenes after the May election..
What is worse, she has written to all Assembly Members to say that they will not be allowed to take a lesser salary. In other words they are going to force the money on us, whatever we say.
Many, like me will give the pay rise away. However, surely the time has come to review the terms of reference of the Remuneration Board to ensure that one of the factors they have to take into account when setting salaries is public opinion. That seems to be the only way to make them sit up and listen.
