Tory AM avoids issue of pay-rise charity donation
AWELSH Conservative AM who said he would donate his £10,000 pay rise to charity has repeatedly failed to answer questions aimed at clarifying whether he has made the donation or not.
In 2015 it was decided that the basic AM’s salary would go up from £54,000 to £64,000 following the May 2016 National Assembly election.
The increase was awarded by the independent Remuneration Board for Wales, which justified it on the basis that the responsibilities of AMs had been extended with the arrival of tax-levying powers.
But the size of the increase was criticised by groups like the TaxPayers’ Alliance, and Monmouth Tory AM Nick Ramsay told a local paper in his constituency: “As I’ve said before, there’s no way I can justify this pay rise down the local pub. Assembly Members need a settlement that is fair but one that also means we are safe to leave our front doors without having rotten tomatoes hurled at us!
“It’s impossible to look a health service worker on a 1% increase in the eye and justify this increase.
“It’s clearly impossible to justify the proposed 18% increase. I donated the last pay rise to St David’s Foundation Hospice Care and if reelected will also give next year’s rise to a local charity.”
Kevin Hughes, who is a constituent of Mr Ramsay’s living in the town of Monmouth, has been trying to pin Mr Ramsay down on his promise.
He said: “Can we trust politicians to keep their word?
“Nearly three years have passed since the election in May 2016 and I’ve trawled through the local papers. I’ve yet to find a news story where Mr Ramsay has donated £10,000 to a local charity. If he has done so he should be praised for his act of generosity and being true to his word. If he hasn’t then he should be publicly asked why he has failed to keep a pre-election promise of such importance.
“I hope it is the former so that he can restore my faith in politicians.”
In July last year Mr Hughes contacted the editor of the local paper which reported Mr Ramsay’s promise in 2015.
She emailed Mr Hughes, stating: “I met with Mr Ramsay a few days ago to discuss his bonus [sic] and charitable spending. He’s not willing to make a public announcement at this stage due to the nature of the charity, but he has confirmed to me that the money is tied with an ongoing charitable project which will be announced later in the year.”
But no such announcement was made in 2018, and none has been made so far in 2019.
Despite repeated attempts to contact Mr Ramsay, he has not responded to our requests that he clarify the matter.
Mr Ramsay chairs the Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee, which is responsible for scrutinising spending in the Welsh public sector.