Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BRADLEY ‘MINDED TO REDUCE’ WAGES AT STORMONT
THE Secretary of State is “minded to reduce pay” for MLAS but has yet to make a final decision.
Karen Bradley delivered an oral statement on finance to the House of Commons yesterday.
She said: “The time is right to address the ongoing public concern about MLA pay in the absence of a functioning Assembly.
“I thank Trevor Reaney who was instructed by my predecessor to produce an independent view and recommended a 27.5% reduction to MLA pay.
“I will seek to introduce legislation to take a power to vary MLA pay.”
But this was as far as she went.
Ms Bradley added she will wait on “full and final representations from the NI parties before I make a final decision”.
Before Christmas, Mr Reaney recommended reducing the average salary of an MLA from £49,500 to £35,888 in two stages.
Ms Bradley also vowed to extend the cap on RHI costs for another year.
She took the opportunity to drive home government commitment to the Good Friday Agreement saying her budget was “the most balanced settlement for Northern Ireland departments”.
Ms Bradley also touched on Brexit, saying Westminster will work with the Irish Government in full accordance with the three-stranded approach.
But that they “will uphold the principle of consent, consistent with this Government’s support for Northern Ireland’s place within the Union”.