Facing axe, fat-cat officials’ £20,000 election bonuses
COUNCIL fat cats could finally be stripped of big bonuses to run elections after the Scottish Government confirmed a review of payments.
Some council chief executives have received far more than £20,000 over the last three years – on top of their six-figure salaries – for overseeing the polls.
But ministers confirmed yesterday that they will look at the issue under a consultation on electoral reform.
It comes after a Holyrood committee renewed its call for the current payments system to returning officers to be scrapped.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘As previously announced, we will soon be launching a consultation to find out what electoral reforms people want to see.
‘The role of returning officers for Scottish parliament elections, including any payments made to them, will form part of that consultation.’
The local government committee yesterday wrote to both the Scottish Government and Scotland Office to demand reform, after it published research revealing the scale of the payments received by some bosses. Responses to the committee’s freedom of information [FOI] requests showed that North Ayrshire Council’s returning officer received £22,464 for five polls in the past three years – the independence referendum in 2014, the general election in 2015, the Holyrood vote and the EU referendum in 2016, as well as this year’s council elections.
Aberdeen City Council’s returning officer got £22,045 for three elections, while Dundee’s was paid £17,898 for overseeing four. However, many others were unable to confirm precise figures.
Convener Bob Doris said: ‘Our committee was very clear that the current payment system should end and that substantial reform is urgently needed. The FOI responses we have published today further demonstrate that the current system is not open or transparent.
‘We believe this could undermine the public’s confidence in how elections are run.
‘That’s why we have written to the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Scottish Government once again to reiterate our calls for greater transparency on what returning officers are paid.’
The Scottish Government is responsible for the Holyrood and council elections – Westminster for general elections and referendums.
Ahead of elections, the maximum amount each returning officer can claim is published – but councils are not currently obliged to say how much their official received.
The payments are in addition to annual salaries of the chief executives – up to £160,000 a year.
Fiona Lees, chairman of Solace, which represents the country’s local authority bosses, said: ‘Solace Scotland, in all of its submissions, has consistently supported the call for a review of returning officer fees and that remains the case.
The East Ayrshire Council chief executive added: ‘We simply wish that the relevant authorities would now get on with the review, to which we have much to contribute.’
A Cabinet Office spokesman aid: ‘Funding for returning officers is laid out in legislation and takes account of the extra work and responsibilities they undertake, which is separate from their work in the local authority.
‘These amounts are published online ahead of a poll.’
‘Calls for greater transparency’