Parties call to keep Senedd members' salary freeze

Senedd members are calling on the independent body that sets their salaries to maintain a pay freeze for politicians in Cardiff Bay.

The Independent Remuneration Board has recommended a 2.4% pay rise for Members of the Senedd (MSs) in May.

It would amount to an increase of £1,624 on an MS' basic salary, bringing it to £69,273.

Parties opposed to the change include Labour, the Conservatives and Plaid Cymru.

The Independent Alliance for Reform, Abolish the Assembly Party and UKIP also oppose it.

Neil McEvoy, leader of the unregistered Propel party, has called for members to "lead by example in these extraordinary times" and back a two-year pay freeze.

Senedd members' pay was frozen in 2020, with a planned 4.4% increase scrapped.

The remuneration board, which acts separately of the politicians in the Welsh Parliament, said at the time it was "difficult to justify" the rise given the poor economic outlook caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

But in a review the body says continuing to freeze pay for the next Senedd term "will no longer fairly reflect the role" and could result in the need for a significant increase in salaries.

Future pay rises would also be capped at 3% under the changes, which have gone out to consultation.

In its response to the consultation, the Senedd's Labour group said it was "strongly opposed" to the pay rise, adding it would be "inappropriate, insensitive and unfair... at a time when our constituents are facing very difficult circumstances as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic."

A Welsh Conservative spokesman said: "At this time of economic downturn when many people across Wales have been living off 80% of their salary, or have lost their job entirely, this is a completely unacceptable proposal.

"We will be making this view known in our response to the independent remuneration board."

A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said: "At a time when public sector workers are facing a pay freeze, elected members should not see their salaries rising"

The Independent Alliance for Reform's Caroline Jones MS said: "Anyone sensible would recognise giving politicians a pay rise would be absolutely ludicrous."

Mark Reckless, one of Abolish the Assembly Party's two MS's, said: "Since the Labour government have put many people out of work, we welcome their drive for members' pay to be frozen.

"We would like them to go further and save the Welsh taxpayer millions per week by abolishing the unnecessary and expensive layer of bureaucracy in Cardiff Bay."

A UKIP spokesman said: "Senedd Members already earn almost three times the average salary in Wales. This pay rise is wholly inappropriate in the middle of a pandemic that has seen the livelihoods of many obliterated.

"This is another example of politicians feathering their own nests at the expense of ordinary people. Devolution has been a good deal for politicians but a bad deal for Wales. The Senedd must be scrapped and these over-inflated salaries reinvested in Wales."

A spokesperson on the behalf of the board said it was "consulting on a series of proposals for the determination on members' pay and allowances for the sixth Senedd, which includes a proposal regarding members' salaries".

The spokesperson added: "The board has written to stakeholders asking for views on these proposals.

"The closing date for submissions is Thursday 11 February and we look forward to considering the views of stakeholders in due course."