Finance secretary told SNP’s pay freeze for ministers is ‘bonkers’

Holyrood Finance Committee convener spoke out about the ‘ludicrous’ policy.

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Scottish National Party (SNP)

The Scottish Government’s policy of not giving annual pay increases to its ministers has been branded “bonkers” by the convener of Holyrood’s Finance Committee.

SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson told finance secretary Shona Robison 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.

But pressing Robison on the issue as she appeared before his committee, Mr Gibson stressed the importance of flexibility in government 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.

“It is just bonkers, really, let’s be honest.”

Robison told him: “I’ll not comment on this issue of ministerial pay.”

But Mr Gibson said told the finance secretary “many” of her government colleagues had “done so privately”.

The pay freeze means members of the Scottish Government continue to be paid at 2008-9 levels, with a cabinet secretary receiving £96,999 while a minister earns £81,449.

Mr Gibson said: “People are just bewildered by it, frankly, and the government occasionally has to revisit policies, they shouldn’t be in tablets of stone.”