Council / Council leader and convener roles set for 33 per cent pay uplift
THE SALARIES of Shetland Islands Council’s political leader and convener roles are set to rise by around one third as part of a shake-up for how elected members are paid across Scotland.
The basic wage of councillors in Scotland, including Shetland, also stands to increase by around 15 per cent.
The increases are a knock-on effect of recommendations from the Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee, which have been accepted by the Scottish Government.
The new pay set-up is set to come into force from 1 April 2025. However the government said it is for local government to fund the salary changes and increases.
Low remuneration for councillors has long been regarded as a key reason why many people are reluctant to put their name forward to stand in council elections in Scotland.
In Shetland for instance there had to be a by-election in the North Isles ward in 2022 after only two people put themselves forward for the three seats on offer – while in Shetland North no-one was able to go to the ballot box because only three folk went for that ward’s three seats.
The independent review undertaken by the Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee, which was convened at the request of council umbrella body COSLA and last reported to government ministers in 2011, aimed to explore councillors’ pay in the country and barriers to elected office.
Salaries for councillors are set nationally, and there is an uplift every year in line with the median increase in earnings of public sector employees in Scotland.
At the moment councils are categorised into four bands – A to D – with smaller ones like Shetland, Orkney, the Western Isles and Inverclyde in A, and the largest local authorities Edinburgh and Glasgow in D.
There is a pay scale across the bands for salaries of leaders, civic heads and senior councillors – those in band A have the lowest while those in D have the highest.
The committee, however, has recommended that all band A councils in the future should be placed into band B as there is now less difference in the responsibilities of councillors.
In addition there was a recommendation that salaries of leaders and civic heads in the new combined band B should be set at 70 per cent of those in band D.
With salary uplifts proposed, the committee said in its report earlier this year that the wage of band B political leaders should rise to £47,363 and conveners/civic heads to £35,523 from 1 April 2024.
At the moment the leader of the SIC – Emma Macdonald – is paid £35,580 a year, and the council’s convener Andrea Manson receives £26,686 a year.
The proposed new salaries equate to a 33 per cent pay rise for both roles.
The changes in banding and leader/convener salaries have been accepted by the government.
The salaries for senior councillors – such as committee chairs – would also rise accordingly.
More generally the Scottish Government has also accepted a recommendation to set salaries of councillors at 80 per cent of the median salary for all employees in the public sector in Scotland.
This would result in a new annual salary of £24,581 for councillors across Scotland.
At the moment councillors, including those in Shetland, receive £21,345. This means there stands to be a 15 per cent increase.
The government has proposed that the changes be implemented from 1 April 2025 instead of 2024 given that the committee’s report was published after the 2024/25 budget setting cycle.
The new pay set-up is set to come into force from 1 April 2025. However the government said it is for local government to fund the salary changes and increases.
Finance secretary Shona Robison confirmed that the government will account for this delay when setting the salaries to be paid from April 2025.
The Scottish Government has also accepted a proposal to increase the number of senior councillors who can be appointed in current band A councils, like Shetland.
At the moment the SIC can appoint eight senior councillors. This includes chairs of committees and boards like licensing and harbour.
The Scottish Government also said it is happy to work with COSLA to give further consideration to a proposal for a “severance” payment to councillors who fail to be elected, lose office and need time to find alternative income.
During consultation the SIC also said allowances for overnight stays and limits on councillors’ expenses should be reviewed.
It said that due to the current £110 and £131 (for London) allowances the council was having to book accommodation for elected members on visits south in areas outwith city centres and then adding taxi fares, which usually come out to be more expensive.
The committee recommended that the current regulations on elected members’ expenses for travel, subsistence and accommodation should be replaced by the provisions applying to officers in their respective councils.
The Scottish Government said it accepted this recommendation in principle but considers that it requires further consideration.
It added that local government itself is better placed to review expenses, rather than the Scottish Government.
Shetland Islands Council chief executive Maggie Sandison said she welcomed the Scottish Government accepting many of the committee’s recommendations.
She added that the committee found that women, young people, and people with a disability are underrepresented in council chambers, while the role of an elected member had become more complex.
Sandison said: “The remuneration levels for councillors should not be a barrier to people who wish to stand for elected office.
“I strongly believe that for the best decisions to be made in the council chamber we need councillors with diverse perspectives and experiences. Our chamber should truly mirror the diversity of Shetland.”
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