Independent Remuneration Board proposes 26.8% MLA pay rise to £67,200 with sanctions for Stormont deadlock

The Independent Remuneration Board has published its first draft determination proposing a 26.8% increase in MLA salaries to £67,200 per year from 1 April 2026, alongside automatic financial sanctions if an Executive is not formed following future Assembly elections.

The newly established Board, which is responsible for setting the salaries and pensions of Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), has launched a two-week consultation seeking views from MLAs, the Assembly Commission and the Assembly Members’ Pension Trustees. The consultation closes on 5 March 2026.

Following consideration of responses, the Board’s Chairperson and members will present a final determination to the Assembly Commission for publication and implementation.

Full details of the draft determination have been published on the Board’s webpage.

Proposed MLA salary increase from April 2026

Under the draft determination, MLA salaries would rise from £53,000 to £67,200 per year from 1 April 2026.

The Board considered a number of metrics for maintaining real-term wages – including the application of external indicators such as the Retail Prices Index (RPI) and the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). The Board considered what MLA salaries would have been each year since 2016, had they increased in line with measurements such as RPI, CPI or CPIH.

Alan Lowry, Chairperson of the Board, said:

“The Board’s objectives are to provide MLAs with a level of remuneration which fairly reflects the complexity and importance of their work and does not deter anyone from seeking election on financial grounds.

“Our MLAs are elected to demanding roles which they perform within their own constituencies and at Parliament Buildings. They make important decisions around legislation, holding Ministers and Departments to account and their work on the Assembly’s scrutiny committees. It is important this work, as well as representing the views and concerns of their constituents, is recognised and valued.

“It is not appropriate, or fair, to expect MLAs to set their own salaries and the Board operates completely independently of the Assembly and the Assembly Commission.

“We want to ensure that public money is spent with probity, accountability, value for money and transparency.  We have made this draft determination having regard to the current financial circumstances in Northern Ireland.

“As a Board, we have taken time to consider the evidence, based on the parameters of legislation. We have taken account of the requirements of the Assembly Members (Independent Financial Review and Standards) Act 2011 - and the report of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Assembly Members’ Remuneration Board Bill, particularly its recommendation to consider the wider financial circumstances of Northern Ireland.”

Politicians’ salaries: London, Scotland, Wales and Dublin – The graphic above shows the percentage change in elected representatives’ salaries across the UK since 2016.  Over this period, Members of Dáil Éireann received the highest percentage increase at 34%. MLA salaries increased by 8% over the same period.

The Board said it also considered the salaries of elected representatives in Scotland, Wales, Westminster and Dublin. Between 2016 and 2025, an MP’s salary increased by 25%, while members of the Welsh Senedd, Scottish Parliament and Irish Dáil saw rises of 19%, 23% and 34% respectively. Over the same period, MLA pay increased by 8%.

Lowry added:

“With the previous Independent Financial Review Panel last making a determination in 2016, it is clear the system of MLA pay has not been functioning normally for a decade. Today’s announcement is a corrective measure and, without prejudicing future determinations, the Board would expect those to be considerably smaller adjustments, and more in line with inflationary and other pay trends of the day.

“We recognise these proposals come at a time when public confidence has been impacted by periods in recent years when our political institutions were not sitting and working normally. That is why, as a Board, we were determined that although MLAs should be paid more, that should only be on the basis of them doing their full jobs.”

Automatic salary reductions if Executive not formed

In recognition of public frustration at “stop-start government”, the Board has proposed significant financial sanctions where an Executive is not formed after the 2027 Assembly election or subsequent elections, or if at any time the offices of First Minister and deputy First Minister become vacant.

Lowry said:

“Informed by the actions the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland took in 2022 on Members’ pay, our draft determination proposes that, should a government not be formed after the 2027 election, MLA salaries will be reduced. In addition, if at any time the offices of First Minister and deputy First Minister become vacant, MLA salaries will also be reduced.

“A reduction of 10% would be applied to MLA salaries after six weeks and again at weeks 12 and 18 - if a government had not been formed in line with the Northern Ireland Act 1998 which allows six months for its formation.”

Under the proposed mechanism, reductions would apply progressively to the immediately preceding salary figure. Based on the proposed £67,200 annual salary:

• After six weeks: £60,480

• After 12 weeks: £54,432

• After 18 weeks: £48,988.90

The Board said the approach is designed to ensure that increased remuneration is contingent on MLAs carrying out their full legislative responsibilities at Stormont.

Inflation and real-terms pay considerations

The Board also examined inflation metrics, including the Retail Prices Index (RPI), the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) and CPIH, which includes housing costs.

In 2016, an MLA’s salary stood at £49,000. Had it been index-linked annually using external measures such as CPI, CPIH or RPI, the 2026 salary would have reached £67,916, £67,643 or £76,410 respectively.

In contrast, the Board noted that in real terms, MLA salaries have increased by £4,000 over the past decade.

The consultation on the draft determination remains open until 5 March 2026, after which the Board will consider submissions before issuing its final decision.