05 July 2007

Tsk, tsk

I appreciate that it is only 9 weeks since the elections, but that is surely time enough to have sorted the matter. The BBC website reports:
First Minister Alex Salmond has insisted he will take just one parliamentary salary.
Earlier it had emerged he has been paid by both Westminster and the Scottish Parliament since he became an MSP in May's Holyrood elections.
Mr Salmond said he would continue claiming his MP's salary and repay the money he has received from Holyrood.
Before the Scottish election said he would draw just one salary if he was also elected as an MSP.
Under the terms of the Scotland Act, politicians sitting in both Holyrood and Westminster, are entitled to an MP's salary of £60,000 plus a third of the £53,000 paid to MSPs.
In addition, Mr Salmond, who is the MSP for Gordon and MP for Banff and Buchan, collects a further salary of £77,000 as first minister.

Not that giving up an MSP's salary is such a big deal. He would only have been entitled to a third of it, so Mr Salmond is in effect only giving up some £17,700 per year, resulting in a nominal salary of £137,000 (£60k as MP and £77k as FM).

And then there are allowances ...

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