AMs should not decide their own pay and allowances - Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire Liberal Democrats)

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Brecon and Radnorshire Liberal Democrats <info@brecon-radnor-libdems.org.uk>

AMs should not decide their own pay and allowances - Kirsty Williams

October 21, 2009 12:00 AM

The leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Kirsty Williams has today given her and her party's overwhelming support to the Assembly Measure calling for the separation of Assembly Members deciding their own pay and allowances.

Kirsty Williams said:

"We have to move to a system that will remove Assembly Members from any part in setting their pay, conditions and expenses.

"We underestimate at our peril the ongoing anger and disquiet felt by members of the public around issues of politicians' pay and expenses, especially those of Members of Parliament in London."

Kirsty also added:

"After 10 years of devolution, it is no longer appropriate that our pay be linked to that of Members of Parliament. We are more than capable of deciding issues like these here in Wales.

"We can and we should be at the forefront of putting trust back into politics."

Ends.

In their Autumn Conference last weekend, the Welsh Lib Dems unanimously passed a motion calling for all existing parliamentarians and prospective candidates to sign a Code of Conduct on Elected Members' Allowances and Transparency.

The Code of Conduct states that no member of the National Assembly, Westminster or the European Parliaments should profit from the tax-payer with regard to their allowances and that there should be complete transparency in how allowances are spent.