Keeping It In The Family 2
Confirmation today from Ian Paisley Junior that he does get paid for his role as a Westminster researcher for his father, although we don't know how much. This is declared on his Assembly register of interests. Any payment will be on top of his £43,201 as an MLA and £19,609 as a junior minister.
The UUP have yet to produce their list of MLAs who employ relatives, although they are confirming about 5 or 6 do.
It's thought they include Basil McCrea and Billy Armstrong.
The DUP are still standing their ground on not publishing a list, although more skilled internet users than I have turned up the list of advice centre staff which was on the DUP website at the end of last year. It reveals that a number of DUP workers have eerily similar surnames to their MLAs. They include Rhonda Paisley, Ian Snr's diary secretary, and two of the Robinsons' children. Some details are obviously out of date - the list still contains, for example, Jim Allister's son.
With the nationals giving the Wintertons a hard time over their allowance claims, the Daily Mail has honed in on the allowances paid to political couples. The Robinsons don't get a picture but they do get a mention, noting that last year they submitted separate London accommodation claims for £19,558 and £20,386.
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There is a time in the life of every politician when they slip over from complacency into arrogance, and from arrogance into even indifference for their electorate.
The Paisley duo are clearly well into the indifference phase with no doubt more to come.
Worse still what follows the Paisleys...the Robinsons and the matter of their London accommodation.. claims totalling some £39944.00...let's have a breakdown of this claim Peter and Iris.
The sooner the whole charade is fully exposed the better, but who at Stormont will do it... they are all feeding so well at the trough called the Public Purse.
Just two Robinson sprogs? Are you sure? Looks more like the whole family to me.
As i understand it the pay band for a resercher is app 20K to 27K Pro Rata.
Mark instead of your focus just being on the DUP members it would be good to take a closer look at the Alliance Party and its Deputy Leader Councillor Naomi Long MLA - she has Councillor Michael Long working for her full time while he runs his own busy dentistry practise and also is a councillor in castlereagh - if Ian junior is feeling the heat for his three jobs surely equality means you must report others as well or is this just the media settling old scores!!!
MARK RESPONDS: Alliance has asked me to clarify that Michael Long works part time as a dentist, and part time as a researcher for his wife, so is not holding down two full time jobs.
Did you contact the Alliance party Mark or did they contact you to get the clarification posted???
MARK RESPONDS: They contacted me.
Oh I wonder if he is NHS or Denplan?
I am puzzled that a married couple has to duplicate expenses to hold accommodation in London. It seems that the Paisleys are not the only dynasty. How many times are they there with their ministerial and chairman posts at the assembly?