CPON WELCOMES NEW PAY CAP LEGISLATION

Outdated pay cap increased for first time in 11 years

CPON has welcomed new legislation that has increased the pay cap for political assistants for the first time since 1995, after a successful four-year lobby of the Government.

The new legislation comes into force today and will see the pay cap for PAs rise from the current £25,044 up to a more realistic £34,986.

It is expected that in due course this new legislation will be succeeded by permanent legislation linking the salary cap to a point on the local government salary scale, meaning that the cap will always keep pace with inflation and local government pay awards.

CPON have been at the forefront of the consultation process, and began to make serious overtures to the Government four years ago, as rapidly increasing living costs, particularly in the South of England, saw PAs falling financially behind fellow local government officers.

In 2004, the network submitted its response to the Government consultation, stating that there was, “…no justification for forcing experienced political assistants, many of whom have families to support, to suffer a real-terms pay cut every year.”

Head of the CPON lobby is Richard Coates, the network’s Legal Lead. Richard Coates, the network’s Legal Lead who spearheaded the lobby, said, “It’s really good news to finally get the pay cap for political assistants lifted for the first time in over ten years.  It has taken a lot of hard work by political assistants of all political parties, working together for a common goal. 

“Now, for the first time in a decade, many senior political assistants will be able to have the same nationally agreed pay increases as every other local government employee.  It is important to note that there is still a cap – and that it is just that – a cap rather than a recommended salary level. 

“There is still work to be done.  In the short term we must work to ensure that the Government lives up to its promise to link the cap to a specific pay scale point, ensuring that political assistants continue to receive fair pay increases.  This will require primary legislation as part of the next Local Government Bill and we need to be vigilant to ensure it is included.  In the longer term, we need to work for the removal of the cap altogether, allowing councils to continue to recruit high quality candidates to support the democratic process and trusting the marketplace and local accountability to work effectively to set a fair pay level, as applies in every other local government role.”