From May, AMs in the Welsh Assembly will get a whopping 18% pay rise, awarded by an independent pay review body. Only the Welsh Liberal Democrats voted against that and they have said that it must never happen again.
From the BBC:
Kirsty Williams has promised to peg AMs’ pay to general rises in the public sector.
AMs will get a salary of £64,000 from 5 May, up from £54,000, following an independent remuneration board decision.
The Lib Dems pledge would apply to the Senedd term after the 2021 election.
Ms Williams said: “It’s outrageous that, at a time when public sector workers have had their salaries either frozen or rise only slightly, politicians are getting a salary hike of 18%.
“Never again can such a rise be allowed to happen.”



2 Comments
Who are the people on this independent panel? What is there working history? have they got political leanings? Can you have detailed information on how they reach their decisions? I ask these questions for they seem to always come up with figures that annoy the public and bring politics into disrepute They need to explain their actions.
Ms Williams said: “It’s outrageous that, at a time when public sector workers have had their salaries either frozen or rise only slightly, politicians are getting a salary hike of 18%.
Actually, what’s really outrageous is that the public sector pay freeze was instigated by one Sir Daniel Alexander when he was just a plain Mr. Public bad – Private good.
This at a time when the CEO of BP attempted to get a £ 13.8 million pay rise……. and when BHS collapsed today it emerged that despite a deficit of £571m, Tory donor (and recipient of a knighthood) Sir Philip Green and his family had collected £586m in dividends.
It’s time the Lib Dems realised there’s a whole unequal world out there regardless of whether politicians indulge in gesture politics or not. It’s time to stop tinkering and to tackle the issue of inequality.