‘Alderney States pay should be made public’

By James Varley

STATES OF ALDERNEY members’ pay was in the spotlight last night.

Richard Willmott released details of his expenses claims before criticising colleague Richard Cox for going to the media with a question he intended to ask at yesterday’s States meeting. Mr Willmott revealed he received £6,351 last year for attending 125 meetings. The number of meetings members participate in and what they are subsequently paid is not normally made public.

Earlier this week, Mr Cox told members of the press he intended to pose a question regarding expenses and whether they would be published in future after saying that two of his colleagues, whom he would not name for confidentiality reasons, had reacted furiously to the proposal during a committee meeting. He also said that no other parliament in the Commonwealth failed to publish members’ expenses.

At the meeting, Mr Cox said: ‘[Details of] public money should be made available to the public. I am proposing we reveal what is paid out on a member-by-member basis. It should also be revealed how many meetings each member attends.’

After saying the issue would be discussed at an upcoming Policy and Finance Committee meeting, Mr Willmott remarked: ‘I find it regrettable that this particular activity has been discussed in the media the day before a States meeting.

‘Asking questions through the press is entirely unhelpful.’

Member Colin Williams suggested that Mr Cox’s comments had implicated every member of the States.