SDLP is the only Assembly party to refuse the latest £5,000 pay rise

Interesting use of an FOI by a political party (never wrong for long, I’m told it was the Nolan Show wot found it out), ie to find out whether any of the other political parties at Stormont refused their 11% pay rise. Mark H Durkan: “The independent panel which recommended the payrise are completely out of touch not only with the public mood but also with public need. This was evidenced by their decision to cut MLA office costs at …

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MLAs have lower salaries, but less onerous duties than anyone else in the UK…

So the boundaries changes are stuck. Nothing to do with us, or our MLAs. Nick Clegg turned ona sixpence and decided not to play ball, after losing the AV referendum. The proposed changes would almost certainly end the UUP as a Belfast party, and severely challenge the remaining SDLP representatives. But Liam Clarke’s been crunching numbers. And whilst Stormont’s MLAs get less than anyone else in the UK, he shows some good reason for it: In Westminster an MP is …

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Will the curb on MLA expenses spell the end of constituency offices?

So MLAs get an 11% rise in salary, not from themselves, but from an Independent Financial Review Panel. Thus the DUP and Sinn Fein are arguing that it is wrong, (though don’t hold your breath for any of them to hand it back) because for once it was not them who were responsible for the decision. As Liam Clarke notes, this is way better than anyone out in the real world is likely to get for sometime to come. But …

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