Sorry Mr Stanford
I got to leave at 6 o'clock last night and made it to choir practice.
They'd barely shared out the copies of Stanford's "Beati quorum via " when the mobile went off.
"8.3%!"
In other words AMs are to get a salary increase of 8.3% to reflect the fact that they've got far more to do and that it matters far more that they get that work right.
The Assembly Commission had accepted the recommendation made by an independent panel - not of cross-party AMs bear in mind but of the great and the good: Sir Michael Wheeler-Booth, Mair Barnes, Eileen Heasman, Professor Steven Martin and William Graham AM, who'd go out for a quick coffee everytime embarrassing things like money were discussed.
As we all know, pay recommendations made by independent panels aren't always accepted - ask the next policeman you bump into.
But the Assembly Commissioners (from all four parties, chaired by the Presiding Officer) have in this instance accepted the 8.3% backdated to last year's May election. Any review of allowances which may well tighten the rules will, by the way, not kick in until after the next election in 2011.
AMs will now be getting 82% of the salaries MPs get. MSPs get 86%. In Northern Ireland the Senior Salareis Review Board has recommended that MLAs should get 84% of what MPs get.
"Bea-ti quo-rum vi-a integr-a est ..."
Off goes the mobile again.
"Plaid have broken the embargo and are already condemning it!"
It turns out the Plaid Cymru Commissioner, Chris Franks, had voted against the recommendation. Was that condemning it but agreeing to take the money, or condemning it and saying no thanks to the money?
Leanne Wood AM has already revealed she won't be taking it - painfully aware that the timing and comparison with pay rises given to public sector workers is dreadful.
Plaid are currently unclear who else will turn it down. There's no ring-around - it's up to each AM to decide whether to take the rise they've condemned or not. Sounds a bit like condemn first, ask afterwards who'll put their condemnation where their mouth is. Or should that be pocket.
We'll wait and see.
"Qui am-bu-lant ..."
But the blonde tenor has four children and had already seen his opportunity before the final "in le-ge Do-mi-niiii had quietly faded away.
"Great! They can spend it on buying those laptops they promised my kids ... Wait, I'll be fair. They're in coalition after all. A laptop between two?"
"Storm at the Senedd", "inflation busting pay rise" are hardly the headlines the Assembly Commission wanted. But they're the headlines the 'No' to further devolution campaign will already be cutting out and pasting in their scrapbooks.
I'm Betsan Powys, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on .
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I have always thought that preferential treatment was for the less capable.
This seems to confirm my belief.
After all, preferential treatment is a disguised form of cheating.
The current pay sector deals have effectively given pay cuts to thousands of employees across Wales; these deals being below inflation. This is in itself giving less recognition to the roles and responsibilities of these people. Consequently, by AMs arguing to be inflation proofed for what they are worth, they are asking to be treated as a special case.
Plaid are right to challenge this notion and I sincerely hope that enough Labour AMs along with the Lib Dems share this view and block this rise. It is simply immoral.
Look, this is not about putting AM's salaries in line with MP's or SMP's it is about an inflation busting pay increase at a time when everyone else is being asked/forced to tighten their belts. Even if they were actually worth the money they should not, on principle, vote to give themselves more money when the country is on the brink of recession. People should get into politics because of a desire to serve the public rather than doing it for the money. What a bunch of self-serving tossers. Would anybody either notice or care if they weren't there?
The AM's may well require more money for what they do but this hike is very ill timed whenall public sector are under pay restraints.
In the circumstances I would not allow this to be back dated at all and to give the increase in installments as police etc have had to endure.
2.7% in May. 2.7% November and 2.9%
in May 2009.
Better still of course would be for them to insist on only taking 2.7% this year in total.
How would they fare if a performance led pay was introduced I wonder.
Can anyone confrim how many AM's have other jobs ? This practice is apparently quite commom amongst MP's.
Prehaps this increase could be funded from a reduction in MP salaries to counteract the reduced workload they are experiencing.
Given that some MP's have time to take other posts it may well be justified.
The timing is unfortunate but I dont think our elected representatives should be the poor relation amongst the UK's elected representatives. We need to have dedicated full time professional politicians and should be willing to pay a proper wage.
Peter Black is a Cabinet member of Swansea Council and had remained a paid Councillor since being an AM. He accepted the 8.3% rise without comment.
GIVE THEM THE MONEY NOW!
I know their truly horrific work load. I have seem them on Betsan's "Devo ´óÏó´«Ã½-2W Assembly Watch"...Too exhausted to stay awake during VITAL Plenary sessions...fored to work all hours as councillors, consultants, ´óÏó´«Ã½ "pundits" and lawyers to make "ends meet" and even pay for their (Welsh) second holiday homes...with hardly enough time in the day to finish their Blogs on the 'Phonics and Wdelsh kulture! (a must read).
Phone "War on want" NOW!
BTW...Listening to your very colourful ´óÏó´«Ã½ Wales reporter this morning describe the overnight storms as "Like a dragon roaring up the Severn Estuary" (sic) ...I would say that the wind banging around my council flat in Caerleon at present is "like an Assembly Member on Salary Review Day"...Full of bluster, sound, fury and er...yellow wet stuff".
Giz Us A Job.
You're in the know. Who's the sacked Welsh civil servant blogger?
I see that Ieuan Wyn is not going to take up the 8.3%. Would you ask him whether he intends to extend that to his final salary pension as that is the largest effect of the increase?
I might be being uncharitable but one could not help but wonder whether this is the main driver behind Lord Dafydd wanting to reduce expenses and increase final salaries as well as surely plaid can't be so cruel as to force that sweet old man to do another term.