MSPs Awarded 3.4% Pay Rise

Anger as increase dwarfs boost offered to workers

- Chris Mccall

MSPs were handed an early Christmas present yesterday as Scottish Parliament bosses offered them a 3.4 per cent wage rise next year.

Politicians at Holyrood saw their wages frozen last year, despite parliament chiefs earmarking a 5.1 per cent rise for them.

The increase would take MSPs' basic salary to £66,662 from April.

Members can claim expenses and can top up their wages significantly if they are promoted to a Scottish Government position.

Since 2015, salaries for MSPs have been directly linked to public-sector pay rises in Scotland.

Before that, their salaries were linked to MPs' pay, with MSPs getting 87.5 per cent of their Westminster counterparts' wage.