WIREDGOV

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP, yesterday wrote to Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) informing them their pay will be reduced by 27.5% from 1 January 2023.

The letter to MLAs follows the recent failed recall of the Assembly and the Royal Assent of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act on Tuesday. In the letter, the Secretary of State details the pay cuts and describes his disappointment at being forced to take this step.

Through a Statutory Instrument laid recently, the Secretary of State will also extend the period for Executive formation to 19 January 2023.

Mr Heaton-Harris yesterday commented:

Yesterday’s debate at Stormont demonstrated the effect of Northern Ireland’s continued political stalemate. Instead of working together to deliver on the issues that matter most to people in NI,  including a rising cost of living and the delayed energy payment scheme, elected representatives are in a state of stagnation.

At a time when the public rightly expect every pound of taxpayers’ money to be well spent, I am reducing MLA pay by 27.5%. This figure remains under review.