Stirling Council leader to get nearly £15,000 pay rise

The leader of Stirling Council could get a pay rise of nearly £15,000.

Figures from council documents show the salary will increase to just over £50,000 from 1st April.

Stirling Council has moved up a band - with regulations, set nationally, leading to a rise in pay for all Stirling councillors.

It will be discussed by the local authority today.

Independent councillor Alasdair MacPherson is against the move:

"I have no doubt that Labour and Tory councillors will point to the Scottish Government and Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee (SLARC) and state that these obscene rises have nothing to do with them.

As a lifelong socialist, I cannot and will not accept a salary increase of 22% as I could never look the people I represent in the face again.

I came into politics to campaign for the poor and the vulnerable and these inflation busting increases flies in the face of everything I stand for.

I will accept a salary increase of 3% as that is what is being offered to our lowest paid workforce. 

I have no doubt that these proposals will be approved, so it is my intention to donate the remaining 19% increase to local community groups in Bannockburn, Cowie, Fallin, Plean and Throsk who provide food and subsidised meals.  

This will equate to me donating £4,000 per annum to local groups in my ward.

I see Thursday's meeting as a huge test of the four Labour councillors who claim to be running a minority administration.  

Their party has removed the Winter Fuel Allowance, retained the Tory benefit cap on two children and they have betrayed the Waspi women. They are also about to attack the most vulnerable people with draconian benefit welfare cuts. How can they justify accepting such huge salary increases while inflicting such pain on their constituents? 

I urge my fellow councillors to follow my lead and donate these obscene salary increases to local groups."

An excerpt from the report says:

"Based on the assumption the council agrees to remunerate the Civic Head at the maximum level available and six elected members continue to be remunerated as senior councillors at the maximum level available, the overall councillors’ salary requirement for 2025/26 would be £702,629."