SNP position on ALEO payments vindicated by report

Commenting on the release of the SLARC recommendations on Councillor remuneration, Glasgow SNP Leader of the Opposition Councillor James Dornan said: "We congratulate SLARC for their hard work and support the broad thrust of their conclusions. Glasgow’s SNP Group have been saying from the beginning that councillors performing duties on ALEOs that they would previously have performed as councillors should not be receiving extra remuneration.

"We feared, and consider we have shown to be correct, that this system would be used to pay off supporters and keep other councillors under control for internal party discipline purposes. There is no benefit to the council tax payer in this scheme and it should be scrapped forthwith.

"The comments of SLARC chairman Ian Livingston, who criticised Glasgow’s ALEO payments are particularly welcome. The thoughts of the independent committee agree with those of Glasgow’s SNP Group in calling for ALEO payments to be removed."

Councillor Dornan concluded by saying: “At Glasgow’s budget meeting in February we identified ALEO payments as an area which could be cut to support local voluntary groups affected by Council cutbacks.  I repeat that call today – any money saved from removing ALEO board payments should be directed towards support for voluntary organisations and projects in the city.

Notes:

The SLARC report can be found here.

The media release quoting the chairman of SLARC can be found here.

The story – carried by The Herald on 10 February 2011 – can be found here.

Evidence of how Glasgow Labour used ALEO board positions can be found in this Herald article of 21 March 2010.