YOU HYPOCRITE
How senior Nationalist pays his interns a miserly £2.81 an hour
ONE of the SNP’s most senior figures pays his interns the equivalent of £2.81 an hour – as his party prepares to grandstand on the living wage this week.
MEP Alyn Smith, who is standing for deputy leader, advertises positions in Brussels at a rate of 500 euros a month – around half the British minimum wage.
That is despite his own website insisting they would be involved in ‘relevant, challenging and important work’.
The UK living wage – which replaced the minimum wage earlier this year – entitles 18-20-year-olds to a rate of £5.55 per hour.
But the SNP conference will this week hear that age should be irrelevant and all workers should receive the £7.20 minimum, currently only paid to those aged 25 or over.
The average amount paid to interns by MEPs in Brussels is 1,400 euros per month – the equivalent of £7.88 per hour.
Despite being expected to work Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, Mr Smith’s website makes clear those in his office must be able to support themselves financially. Rent in the Belgian capital is 600-950 euros a month.
MEPs receive a standard monthly salary of £6,537 – and have their travel, food and hotel bills paid for them by the taxpayer. They also receive the equivalent of £3,871 towards office costs each month.
On Thursday, SNP delegates are expected to back a resolution condemning the Tory Government for not doing more to support young people on low earnings.
The resolution by MP Chris Stephens will say: ‘Conference believes that to pay one worker less than another based purely on age is discrimination, and that under-25 workers should be paid the same rate for the same work as those aged 25 and over.
‘Conference calls on the UK Government to end this discrimination.’
Scottish Tory finance spokesman Murdo Fraser said: ‘This is such a classic example of SNP hypocrisy. While it says every business should pay the living wage, it can’t even be bothered paying the minimum.
‘The SNP should explain why a scheme run by one of its most prominent politicians should be exempt from its trumpeted living wage policy.’
An amendment to the resolution calls for the living wage to be raised to £8.25 an hour – almost three times more than Mr Smith’s interns receive.
Mr Smith’s website says: ‘The ideal candidate will be a recent university graduate; however, age is not an issue. Successful applicants will have proven research, IT and organisational skills. Knowledge of French would be helpful but it is not essential.
‘Every effort is made to ensure trainees are involved in relevant, challenging and important work – Alyn does not need bag carriers and he gets his own coffee.
‘Trainees are provided with €500 a month to cover expenses.’
Mr Smith is standing against MPs Angus Robertson and Tommy Sheppard and councillor Chris McEleny to be deputy leader of the SNP, with the winner due to be announced on Thursday morning.