Significant pay rise at Stormont while public services crumble would be indefensible

Public trust in politicians is at an all-time low, and with good reason. As teachers in Northern Ireland reject a 5.5 per cent pay offer and prepare for industrial action, talk of a substantial pay rise for MLAs is not just insensitive; it is a disgrace.

Though no firm recommendation has been made, legislation requiring a new Remuneration Board to consider salaries in other devolved administrations, where pay is around £20,000 higher, beggars belief and raises the question as to how our politicians even entertain the notion of parity when the reality for ordinary workers is so starkly different.

Currently, an MLA earns £52,500 a year. Under these proposals, their salaries could surge by an eye-watering 37.5 per cent, potentially matching those of their counterparts in Scotland and Wales at around £72,000. This is indefensible at a time when public services are crumbling. As People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll rightly put it, such an increase would be a "kick in the teeth" to workers fighting for even modest pay rises that barely keep pace with inflation.

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Yes, the Independent Financial Review Panel last set MLA pay in 2016, with only small increases of £500 tied to inflation. However, the fact that this debate is happening now while teachers, nurses, and other essential workers struggle shows just how out of touch many politicians are.

Only a handful, including Gerry Carroll and TUV's Timothy Gaston, have spoken out against it. The silence from others speaks volumes.

Some argue that higher salaries would attract better candidates to politics. However, experience suggests that those who truly want to serve the public are not motivated by money. Besides, how could MLAs credibly claim to represent their constituents when their own financial circumstances would be so far removed from the struggles of ordinary people?

This is not about denying fair pay for public service; it is about proportionality. It is about empathy and it is about recognising the immense financial pressures facing the people MLAs are supposed to represent.

At a time when public services are stretched to breaking point and workers are barely keeping their heads above water, a potential 37.5 per cent pay rise for MLAs is nothing short of shameful. Instead of lining their own pockets, our elected representatives should continue to be fighting for fair pay for the public sector workers who keep Northern Ireland running.

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