RELATIVE VALUES:THE ROBINSONS follow a trend that is popular among the DUP and other parties by appointing family members to political posts.
In all, the party has said that 19 of its elected representatives employ family members and that 27 relatives are among the total party staff team of 136.
The declaration was made by the party in the wake of the MPs expenses controversy last summer.
It emerged that Iris Robinson employs her son Jonathan full time as an office manager and her daughter-in-law Ellen as a part-time secretary, while Peter Robinson employs the couple’s other son Gareth as his parliamentary assistant and their daughter Rebekah full-time as office manager and private secretary.
The Robinsons pay for their staff from allowances attached to their respective political positions at Stormont and at Westminster.
There are a range of salaried positions available to parliamentarians:
- Office managers/executive secretaries: £21,320 to £40,052;
- Senior secretaries: £17,443 to £30,363;
- Junior secretaries: £14,212 to £25,195;
- Senior caseworkers: £17,443 to £29,716;
- Caseworkers: £13,566 to £25,195;
- Senior research/ parliamentary assistants £27,780 to £40,052;
- Research/parliamentary assistants: £14,212 to £34,240.
Lord (Maurice) Morrow, the DUP chairman, has said its employees staff about 40 constituency surgeries and “scores of satellite surgeries”.
He told the Belfast Telegraph: “Whilst there has been much discussion about MLAs who employ relatives, it must be noted that the focus should be on whether the employee is effectively doing the work for which they are paid.
“The Democratic Unionist Party provides an unrivalled constituency service. The performance of these offices is monitored by our party centrally.” DAN KEENAN
