MLA pay deal imminent
The Assembly Commission has been meeting this evening and I am told they are being briefed on the Senior Salaries Review Body's recommendation on MLA pay. As I wrote last week, the mood amongst the politicians is against taking any rise. I am also told that the SSRB recommendation is likely to be considerably lower than the 16% increase predicted in the spring.
UPDATE: As some of you may have heard I reported more on the and Good Morning Ulster this morning. The document is due to be released officially tomorrow. Currently an MLA gets just over £43,000. The rise should take them to nearer £44,000. Given the suggested cut in mileage and cut in Office Costs Allowance for those who are also MPs it has been suggested to me that the impact of the report will be "cost neutral". The report is understood to make reference to the number of MLAs (108) and the joint mandates. I am also told it may suggest that there should be another review of MLAs' pay in 2010, and that in the future MLAs should not be asked to vote on their own pay and conditions.
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