Councillors' remuneration and expenses: recommendations

Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee (SLARC) was reconvened in April 2023 to undertake an independent review of councillor remuneration, having last reported in 2011.


Appendix 3: Remuneration comparison

Elements of remuneration

Councillors

MSPs

MPs

Salary:

Ordinary Councillor

Part-time

£20,099 w.e.f. 1/4/23

Not specified as full or part-time

£67,662 w.e.f. 1/4/23

Not specifies as full or part-time

£86,584 w.e.f. 1/4/23

Salary:

Civic Heads and Senior Councillors

Full-time

Range Bands A-D £25,128 - £45,228 w.e.f.1/4/23

Up to maximum of 75% of Leader’s salary

Ministerial additional salaries frozen at 2008 level:

Presiding Officer: £50,849

Total Salary £96,999

143% of salary of MSP

Salary published on Parliament website w.e.f. 1/4/2023: £118,511

Select Committee Chairs – additional salary £16,865 w.e.f. 1 April 2022

Total salary £103,449

119% of salary of MP

Salary:

Council Leaders

Full-time

Range Bands A-D £33,503 - £60,304 w.e.f.1/4/23

167% - 300% of salary of ordinary councillor

Ministerial additional salaries frozen at 2008 level:

First Minister: £98,016

Cabinet Secretary: £50,849

Minister: £31,854

Range of total salaries £81,449 - £135,605

120%-200% of salary of MSP

Salaries published on Parliament website w.e.f. 1/4/2023: £99,516 - £165,678

Ministerial additional salaries frozen at 2014 level:

Prime Minister: £75,440

Cabinet Minister £67,505

Minister of State: £31,680

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State: £22,375

Range of total salary £108,959 - £162,024

125%-187% of salary of MP

Annual Salary Uplift

As per median annual increase in earnings of full-time public sector employees in Scotland – based on ASHE data – applied from the following April rather than retrospectively for the year to which the data applies

6.2% w.e.f. 1/4/2024

As per average increase in annual earnings of full-time public sector workers in Scotland as provided for by the ASHE - applied from the following April rather than retrospectively for the year to which the data applies

6.7% w.e.f. 1/4/2024

As per average increase in annual earnings of full-time public sector workers as provided for by the ASHE - applied from the following April rather than retrospectively for the year to which the data applies

7.1% w.e.f. 1/4/2024

Pension

Eligible to join LGSS contributory pension schemes

Eligible to join the contributory Scottish Parliamentary Pension Scheme

Eligible to join the Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund

Resettlement Grant / Severance Pay

N/a

One month’s salary for each complete continuous year of service as an MSP. The maximum period of service counted is 12 years. Other officeholders receive a lump sum equal to 25% of their office-holder salary excluding their MSP salary.

On 25th August 2023 it was doubled for the next general election - MPs stepping down or losing their seat will receive 4 month’s salary. Ministers ‘stepping down’ receive a severance payment of 25% of the addition element of pay for holding ministerial office.

Expenses

Last reviewed in 2010*

*It is our understanding that Councils have undertaken to pay their elected members at the HMRC approved rate of 45p per mile

Last reviewed 2023

Last reviewed 2023

Travel

40p per mile for travel by car or van for first 10,000 miles; and 25p per mile thereafter

24p per mile for travel by motorcycle

20p per mile for travel by bicycle

5p per passenger per mile

45p per mile for travel by car for first 10,000 miles; and 25p per mile thereafter

24p per mile for travel by motorcycle

20p per mile for travel by bicycle

45p per mile for travel by car for first 10,000 miles; and 25p per mile thereafter

24p per mile for travel by motorcycle

20p per mile for travel by bicycle

Subsistence

Reimbursement of receipted expenditure:

Lunch: up to max of £12 per day

Dinner: up to max of £25 per day

Breakfast: up to max of £8 per day

Overnight accommodation allowance includes dinner, bed and breakfast

Limit of £25 subsistence per night for each overnight stay

Distant Islands Allowance / London Weighting

N/a

N/a

London Area Living Payment (LALP) London Area MPs £4,435 Additional LALP London Area MPs of 23 outer London constituencies £1,575

Overnight Accommodation

£25 per night if staying away from home overnight with friends or family. Current allowances for hotel accommodation are a maximum of £131 per night for London and a maximum of £110 per night elsewhere

Outside Edinburgh but excluding London – are £215 per night including dinner, bed and breakfast. Allowances for overnight accommodation for MSPs – in Greater London – are £250 per night including dinner, bed and breakfast.

London / Europe £210 per night + up to £25 subsistence

Rest of UK £150 per night + up to £25 subsistence

Contact

Email: LocalGovernmentPolicyandRelationships@gov.scot

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