Councillors' remuneration - 'Pay them more but let's have a cull first'

Coming at a time of massive cuts, and on the same day as Lord Hutton's proposals to trim the pensions of tens of thousands of public servants, the Scottish Local Authorities plan was always likely to jar.

The timing was particularly unfortunate for Jenny Dawe, who as Edinburgh council leader was revealed to be in line for a 63,0000 salary, on the very day she faced a no-confidence motion over the disastrous handling of The Gathering.

But - bear with us for a moment - would a pay hike for people who make million-pound decisions about the way we run our lives really be out of order?

Being a councillor was once a part-time job for which remuneration was a secondary consideration. But if we don't want only the independently wealthy (or those who are happy to live off state handouts) to represent us, we have to ask if 18,916 is really going to attract people who would be a success in professions such as teaching or the law, or indeed business.

Even top earners such as Dawe or senior city councillors on up to 36,528 are not making anything like the sort of money that would come in the private sector with part-control over a 1 billion budget.

However, we are not suggesting for a minute that the total governance bill should rise. On the contrary, any increase in politicians' wages must only come as part of a wide-ranging review of the number of them at all levels.

Scotland is over-governed. Even after recent cuts we have 59 MPs, 129 MSPs and no fewer than 1222 councillors, and there are many areas where responsibility overlaps between Westminster and Holyrood and town halls. Moreover, too few have real talent.

It's time for a cull. David Cameron's plan to reduce the number of MPs is one cut we can agree with. But it needs to go further - by at least 20 per cent.

Only then will we countenance the sort of wages which might attract good people to what should be our most important jobs.