How much should our politiicans be paid?

A panel is looking a that issue now and its members are asking the public to share their views.

The consultation period began this week and will end on August 31.

In May an independent panel was appointed to review Tynwald Members’ emoluments, including all pay and allowances.

The members of the panel are Ian Cochrane (chair), Jennifer Houghton and Sir Miles Walker, the island’s first chief minister.

The panel would like to know the views of the public on four questions.

The questions are:

â?¢What level of salary and benefits would be sufficient to to allow anyone to be able to serve in Tynwald and to attract a diverse collection of community members?

â?¢How should Tynwald members’ enhanced executive and scrutiny roles be recognised?

â?¢How should members’ basic pay be linked to civil service salary levels?

â?¢What other comments would you like to make about Tynwald members’ emoluments?

Both MHKs and MLCs are paid a standard pre-tax basic salary of £43,479 per year along with a £7,403.60 no-questions-asked expenses annual sum.

However, members who hold positions of power such as ministers and chairmen of authorities get an uplift to their annual salary, with Chief Minister Howard Quayle being paid an extra 80% on top of that £43,479, taking his pre-tax salary to £78,262.20.

For all other members, uplifts are: President of Tynwald 50%; Speaker of the House of Keys 60%; a minister 50%; a member of the Treasury 40%, political members of other departments 30%; chairman of the Public Service Commission 40%; and the chairmen of the planning committee, Post Office, Manx Utilities Authority and Office of Fair Trading 10%.

Background information on the panel’s questions, including a description of the present arrangements, is in a consultation paper.

Responses may be sent direct to the panel by post to Jonathan King, Secretary, Members Emoluments Review Panel, Legislative Buildings, Douglas IM1 3PW or by email to [email protected]

Alternatively they may be sent through the government’s online consultation hub.

All respondents are asked to make clear whether their response may be published.

The panel says the results of the consultation will be taken into account in preparing its report to the emoluments committee.

This report will include an analysis of what people said in response to the consultation.

The panel has been asked to report to the emoluments vcommittee by December 31. The emoluments committee will decide whether, and if so when, to publish the panel’s report.