No ‘golden goodbyes’ for councillors in next year’s election
COUNCILLORS who do not return to the chamber after the 2027 local government elections will not be entitled to proposed ‘golden goodbye’ payments after the Scottish Government decided against introducing them.
Deputy first minister Jenny Gilruth said it would have been “rushed” and added it was important to fully develop details of any such severance payment scheme for councillors in Scotland.
She also wrote in a letter to local government organisation COSLA that there is a challenging financial climate in the public sector.
But COSLA said it was “profoundly” disappointed that a severance scheme, recommended in an independent report on councillors’ remuneration a couple of years ago, is not being introduced for 2027’s elections.
The recommendation for ‘golden goodbyes’ was included in a report from the Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee (SLARC) in 2024.
This report has already resulted in councillors’ salaries being increased across Scotland, including significant uplifts for the leader and convener positions at Shetland Islands Council.
One SLARC recommendation was for resettlement, or severance, payments being introduced for councillors losing office at elections.
It recommended that councillors losing office should be awarded the equivalent of one month’s salary per year served, up to a maximum of twelve years.
The recondition was to echo the approach given to MSPs at the Scottish Parliament, which includes both people who chose not to stand again in elections, and those who stand but fail to be re-elected.
SLARC said the lack of any severance payment for councillors was a deterrent to standing for office, “given the prospect of losing salary without any form of compensation”.
With local government elections taking place every five years, councillors deciding against standing again is a fairly regular occurrence.
However, Shetland councillors standing for election but failing to get back into the chamber through the ballot box has become a relatively rare occurrence in recent years – but there are some examples.
In the last election in 2022 Amanda Hawick narrowly lost out in the Lerwick South ward.
In 2017 Gary Robinson, then SIC leader and representing Shetland West, also failed to win re-election. However, with a change of ward, he was elected again in 2022 for Lerwick North and Bressay.
The Scottish Government did not take up the recommendation for so-called ‘golden goodbyes’ back in 2024, and Gilruth has confirmed that position still stands.
In a letter to COSLA, Gilruth reportedly said she backed the principle of severance payments but added that given a need for difficult financial decisions and change in the public sector, it is “especially important that the full details of how a scheme would operate are fully developed, well understood and consulted on as a clear and coherent approach”.
“Rushing an incomplete scheme in time for next year’s election as a partial and temporary approach for 2027 would duplicate effort, costs and scrutiny on the same issue and could cause confusion for the public,” she said.
A spokesperson for COSLA said the local government organisation was very disappointed, and added: “The recommendation to introduce a scheme, which came from an independent body, is a key aspect of reducing barriers to elected office and ensuring that councils are more representative of communities.
“A severance scheme for elected members would bring them into line with what is already available for MSPs and MPs.
“Just a few months ago, departing MSPs were eligible for up to almost £78,000 – more for those with ministerial or cabinet positions.
“Scotland’s councillors deserve parity and equal treatment with our national politicians.
“We remain committed to delivering the recommendations of SLARC which includes severance and stand willing to work with the Scottish Government to achieve this.”
There will be 23 seats up for grabs in the SIC elections next year, across the wards Shetland North, North Isles, Shetland Central, Shetland West, Lerwick North and Bressay, Lerwick South and Shetland South.
However in the 2022 SIC elections only two people – incumbents Duncan Anderson and Ryan Thomson – put themselves forward for the North Isles’ three seats, meaning a by-election had to be held.
Also in 2022 only three people went for Shetland North’s three seats, meaning there was no election in the uncontested ward.
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