Politicians say £10,000 pay rise is too high and 'unacceptable'

Wales
Friday 22 May 2015 at 1:31pm

Credit: PA

A panel, put in charge of setting the wage packets for Welsh Assembly Members, insisted on Friday that politicians will get an 17 per cent increase in 2016 - taking their basic wage from £54,000 to £64,000.

But before they pocket that money they have to get elected or be re-elected. The pay rise won't come into effect until after next year's Assembly elections.

If you're voted in here next year you'll get a basic wage of £64,000. Credit: PA

Today the Renumeration Board of the Welsh Assembly said the extra pay was justified on a number of accounts: AMs will have more responsibility and a bigger workload with as more political powers are devolved from Westminster, the higher salaries are also an incentive to attract "the best people" to "best perform", says the board.

But Assembly Members themselves are not too happy with the 17 per cent rise at a time when many public sectors workers are seeing their wages increase by two or even one per cent.

Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood says she won't accept the wage. Credit: PA

Plaid Cymru Leader Leanne Wood says the rise is inappropriate and she won't accept it.

When many in the public sector and private sector are getting a 1% pay rise, a pay freeze or even a proposed cut - like the staff who are in dispute at the National Museum of Wales - I cannot support such a large salary increase for Assembly Members. In this current financial climate it is not appropriate and few people would see that it is necessary. “Too many people are living with the effects of austerity and it was for this reason that I turned down my additional leaders’ salary increase of more than £20,000 a year since being elected Plaid Cymru Leader in 2012. “I have said before that I would accept the proposed increase when there is a Living Wage for all of the quarter of a million Welsh workers who are currently earning less than is needed to live on and I reiterate that position today.”

Credit: PA

The Welsh Conservatives say they will "consider" the pay rise:

Labour said it was disappointed that the Renumeration Board had gone ahead with the rise.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have repeatedly said the rise was "unacceptable":

Meanwhile, the Renumeration Board said in a statement the extra wages were an "investment in Welsh democracy" and it was now up to the "Welsh public to ensure that the right candidates, who can deliver on the promise that these additional powers offer, are elected.”