MLA pay rise to £69,216 proposed for next Stormont term
MLAs would receive a £2,016 increase in their basic annual salary after next year’s Assembly election under proposals now open for public consultation.
The Independent Remuneration Board has proposed raising basic pay from £67,200 to £69,216 for the start of the 2027–32 Assembly term, followed by annual increases linked to Northern Ireland earnings growth and capped at 3%.
Members of the public have until 15 October to give their views before the independent body responsible for setting MLA salaries finalises the arrangements.
How the proposed pay increases would work
The initial increase would be a fixed 3%, taking effect from the first sitting day of the new Assembly following the 2027 election. It would apply regardless of the earnings figures at that time.
Subsequent annual increases would track growth in median weekly earnings for full-time employees in Northern Ireland, using figures published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Median earnings represent the midpoint, with half of employees earning more and half earning less.
Under the draft, the first earnings-linked adjustment would fall on 1 April 2028. An increase would depend on earnings having risen, with the percentage limited to whichever is lower: the recorded earnings growth or 3%.
Board explains its approach to pay
Board chairperson Alan Lowry said the pay determination made in March for the current Assembly term had been intended as a corrective measure because arrangements for reviewing MLA pay had not operated effectively for almost a decade.
He said:
“MLAs carry out a wide range of important duties, from representing constituents and scrutinising legislation to holding Ministers and Departments to account. It is right that their remuneration recognises the complexity and importance of those responsibilities, while ensuring that financial considerations do not discourage people from seeking elected office.”
He added:
“As we look ahead to the Assembly election next year and the start of a new mandate, it is important that we put in place a structured and transparent mechanism that links MLA pay to changes in earnings in Northern Ireland. This approach ensures that pay remains aligned with wider developments in society, while providing certainty and maintaining public confidence in the process.”
Additional payments for ministers and other roles
The draft would show additional payments for office-holders separately from their basic MLA salary, rather than presenting a combined total as in previous determinations. These extra payments would remain fixed throughout the 2027–32 term.
The proposed annual additions include £72,000 for the First Minister and deputy First Minister, and £38,000 for the Speaker and other Northern Ireland ministers. Alongside the proposed basic salary, those amounts would produce starting totals of £141,216 and £107,216 respectively.
Junior ministers, deputy speakers and chairs of specified committees would receive an additional £12,000. Assembly Commission members would receive £9,000, while chairs of the standing committees listed in the draft would receive £6,000. Anyone holding more than one qualifying office would receive only the highest additional payment.
Pay reductions if government is not formed
The arrangements also provide for salary reductions if an Executive is not formed after an election, or if the offices of First Minister and deputy First Minister become vacant during an Assembly term.
Mr Lowry said:
“As we set out previously, there are significant financial sanctions that would apply if an Executive is not formed following the next and subsequent elections - or if at any time the offices of First Minister and deputy First Minister become vacant.”
If ministerial posts remained unfilled after an election, the draft sets out successive reductions after six, 12 and 18 weeks, measured from the Assembly’s first meeting. At the proposed starting rates, basic annual pay would fall to £62,294, then £56,065 and finally £50,459.
How to have your say
The four-week consultation opened on Thursday 17 September and closes on Thursday 15 October 2026. The Board is seeking public views alongside responses from MLAs, the Assembly Commission and the Assembly Members’ Pension Trustees.
The consultation and a link to the full draft are available here — the contact email is remunerationboard@niassembly.gov.uk.
The proposals concern salaries. A separate determination on MLA pensions will follow later, while allowances are set by the Assembly Commission rather than the Board.
All consultation responses will be considered before the Board submits its final determination to the Assembly Commission for publication and implementation. The proposed arrangements for the next Assembly term are therefore still subject to that process.
