Why £20k pay rise for SNP ministers can't be described as performance-related

And so, as he announced his government’s legislative programme would be published four months early on May 6 to “enable a full year of delivery between now and the Scottish election”, it was also revealed that his ministers are getting a £20,000 pay rise.

This latter decision, Swinney insisted, was a matter of “fairness”, a remark that some public sector workers may regard as a particularly insensitive gaffe.

£116,000 for Cabinet Secretaries

After a 16-year freeze on ministerial salaries, junior ministers had been set to earn only £6,000 more than an ordinary MSP. So clearly, in the mind of the First Minister, firm and decisive action was necessary.

Instead of receiving a measly £81,450 a year, junior ministers will now get more than £100,000. And Cabinet Secretaries will see their pay go up from £97,000 to more than £116,000.

It should be said that Swinney decided to forgo a similar increase for himself. However, such a large rise will focus many voters’ minds on the “delivery” that he spoke about and whether such rates of pay are in any way ‘performance-related’.

After all, the list of things the SNP said they were going to do, but didn’t is long. From the failure to dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness to not achieving Scottish independence, 18 years of nationalist government has let down supporters and critics alike and produced few landmark achievements worthy of celebration.

The appalling state of the NHS will be a major issue in the election, although Swinney claimed he could see “signs of progress” on patient waiting times. But however strong the party’s promised “laser-focus on delivery” turns out to be, few will expect to see significant progress.

If the problems and Swinney’s gaffes continue, this particular broom might just sweep itself out of office.