MSPs facing family staff ban

Published on Saturday 31 October 2009 18:47

THE Scottish Parliament is set to follow Westminster by banning politicians from employing any more close family members, Scotland on Sunday has learned.

In the wake of the Westminster expenses scandal, the Scottish parliamentary authorities are looking at tightening up allowances.

Existing working relationships between MSPs and their relatives will not be affected by the move, meaning that the enterprise minister Jim Mather and the housing minister Alex Neil will be able to continue employing their wives. But new MSPs will be forbidden from employing any more close relatives in the future following concerns about politicians mis-using taxpayers' money.

Employment of relatives is one of the issues being reviewed by Sir Neil McIntosh, who was brought in to examine Holyrood's expenses system after Sir Christopher Kelly was appointed to reform the Westminster allowances.

Scotland on Sunday understands the crackdown on the employment of family members has been discussed by MSPs on the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, the group responsible for staff and services at Holyrood.

"We are aware of individual family members who are still employed but it's been made clear that it is being phased out. That is the direction of travel," said one MSP. "It (employing close relatives] will be a practice that can no longer be initiated and no-one will be able to take on a family member. But we cannot dismiss people for being related to their employer."

Yesterday, McIntosh, former chief executive of Strathclyde Regional council and Civil Service commissioner, said: "My work is still on-going and it will take account of the Kelly considerations."

Kelly will this week recommend a ban on the employment of relatives at Westminster – a move that has led to some MPs' wives threatening to take legal action if they are forced to quit their posts.

Nearly 200 MPs employ spouses and other family members, with many insisting they represent better value for money for the taxpayer.

In the Scottish Parliament, 28 MSPs use the services of relatives – half are members of the SNP.

In addition to Mather and Neil, the Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon put her mother Joan on the pay roll. Schools minister Keith Brown is registered as employing his daughter, while SNP chief whip Brian Adam employs his son.

Of the 11 Labour members to hire relatives, Dunfermline East MSP Helen Eadie has relied on her husband Robert since 1999.

Veteran Liberal Democrat MSP John Farquhar Munro is registered as hiring his wife and grand-daughter, while Conservative Ted Brocklebank uses public cash to pay his sister.

A Scottish Parliament spokesman said: "Following a full-scale independent review of allowances in 2008, MSPs have been required to publicly register details of the employment of family members."