Latest news with #TimothyGaston
South Wales Guardian
16-06-2025
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Stormont MLA Remuneration Board Bill passes despite opposition
The Assembly Members (Independent Remuneration Board) Bill will establish a new independent board to determine salaries and pensions for MLAs. It will replace the previous Independent Financial Review Panel which has been defunct for a number of years. Currently, the basic salary for an MLA is £51,500, but this can rise with position including chairing some committees or serving as a minister, with the First and deputy First Ministers receiving a salary of £123,500. A report alongside the Bill showed MLA salaries are lower than those received by Members of the Scottish Parliament (£72,196), Assembly Members at the Welsh Assembly (£72,057) and Members of the Irish Parliament (113,679 euros/£94,537). The Bill, put forward by the Assembly Commission, was passed by an oral vote by MLAs on Monday, with the sole MLAs representing the TUV and People Before Profit both opposing the Bill. TUV MLA Timothy Gaston claimed it is 'nothing more than a vehicle to enable MLAs to award themselves a substantial pay rise', and objected to former MLAs being entitled to sit on the new board. People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll also criticised that former MLAs could sit on the board, and said that a pay rise for MLAs amid 'rising rates of poverty' would be 'completely tone deaf'. However UUP MLA Andy Allen, who sits on the Assembly Commission, described a 'technical Bill' to deal with the process of how salaries and pensions are set. Closing the debate Sinn Fein MLA Sinead Ennis slammed what she termed 'inaccuracies and misunderstandings' over the Bill. She also warned that if the Bill did not pass the Assembly 'will have failed' to ensure legal clarity and leave no structure in place to determine the salaries and pensions of MLAs. 'In passing this Bill today, future discussions and decisions around the salaries and pensions of members will shift to the independent remuneration board,' she told MLAs. 'That board has independence in deciding what factors it wants to consider before determining its view on the appropriate level of salaries and pensions for members. 'That is the appropriate way of dealing with these matters.'
Western Telegraph
16-06-2025
- Business
- Western Telegraph
Stormont MLA Remuneration Board Bill passes despite opposition
The Assembly Members (Independent Remuneration Board) Bill will establish a new independent board to determine salaries and pensions for MLAs. It will replace the previous Independent Financial Review Panel which has been defunct for a number of years. TUV MLA Timothy Gaston claimed the Bill is 'nothing more than a vehicle to enable MLAs to award themselves' with a pay rise (Liam McBurney/PA) Currently, the basic salary for an MLA is £51,500, but this can rise with position including chairing some committees or serving as a minister, with the First and deputy First Ministers receiving a salary of £123,500. A report alongside the Bill showed MLA salaries are lower than those received by Members of the Scottish Parliament (£72,196), Assembly Members at the Welsh Assembly (£72,057) and Members of the Irish Parliament (113,679 euros/£94,537). The Bill, put forward by the Assembly Commission, was passed by an oral vote by MLAs on Monday, with the sole MLAs representing the TUV and People Before Profit both opposing the Bill. TUV MLA Timothy Gaston claimed it is 'nothing more than a vehicle to enable MLAs to award themselves a substantial pay rise', and objected to former MLAs being entitled to sit on the new board. People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll also criticised that former MLAs could sit on the board, and said that a pay rise for MLAs amid 'rising rates of poverty' would be 'completely tone deaf'. However UUP MLA Andy Allen, who sits on the Assembly Commission, described a 'technical Bill' to deal with the process of how salaries and pensions are set. Closing the debate Sinn Fein MLA Sinead Ennis slammed what she termed 'inaccuracies and misunderstandings' over the Bill. She also warned that if the Bill did not pass the Assembly 'will have failed' to ensure legal clarity and leave no structure in place to determine the salaries and pensions of MLAs. 'In passing this Bill today, future discussions and decisions around the salaries and pensions of members will shift to the independent remuneration board,' she told MLAs. 'That board has independence in deciding what factors it wants to consider before determining its view on the appropriate level of salaries and pensions for members. 'That is the appropriate way of dealing with these matters.'
The Independent
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
UK and Irish governments should ‘consider their actions' over Kneecap funding
The UK and Irish governments should 'consider their actions' with regard to any funding provided to Irish rap trio Kneecap, a Stormont minister has said. Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said the actions of the the band amounted the 'glorification of terrorism' and went well beyond artistic licence. The group has seen gigs cancelled after historic concert footage appeared to show a member of the group shouting 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah', and another video allegedly showing one calling for Conservative MPs to be killed. Made up of Liam Og O Hannaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, the group has faced an investigation by counter-terrorism police after the videos, filmed in 2023 and 2024, became public. Mr Lyons was asked during ministerial question time at the Northern Ireland Assembly on Monday if his department had provided funding to Kneecap since 2017. He said: 'Neither my department nor any of its arm's length bodies have provided any funding to Kneecap since 2017.' TUV MLA Timothy Gaston referred to a planned gig in Belfast this August where Kneecap is set to support Irish rock band Fontaines DC. He said: 'As the minister responsible for local government, what are you doing to stop this pro-IRA rap group from turning Belfast City Council-owned Boucher Road playing fields into their personal propaganda stage?' Mr Lyons responded: 'The member will be aware that although I oversee local government legislation, it is up to individual councils to make their own decisions in those regards. 'But I hope that local councils would take into consideration some of the good relations issues that have been raised in light of some of the comments that have been made by Kneecap. 'Not only by Kneecap, but all of those that would seek to engage in what is essentially the glorification of terrorism.' DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley asked the minister if he agreed the UK and Irish governments 'need to fully distance themselves from the funding of racist, antisemitic and sectarian state sponsorship in the view of Kneecap?'. Mr Lyons said it was the responsibility of all to call out such behaviour. He said: 'There are always things we can disagree with which other people do in the arts sphere but this is going far beyond anything which comes anywhere close to dealing with artistic licence. 'This is the glorification of terrorism and this is also supporting, calling for violence towards MPs. 'It is incumbent on us to call that out and I would also call on the UK Government and the Irish Government to consider their actions in this regard.' Last year, Kneecap won a discrimination case against the UK Government in Belfast High Court after former business secretary Kemi Badenoch tried to refuse them a £14,250 funding award. People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll asked the Communities Minister if his department had given funding to any organisations that have been publicly singing 'up to our necks in Fenian blood?'. Mr Lyons said it was up to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland to determine funding policies. He added: 'What I won't do is what some are trying to do which is to judge the entire bands community by the actions of a few if they have fallen beneath expected standards.'
BBC News
09-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
TUV's Timothy Gaston's questioning of witness ruled not a breach of code
Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) assembly member Timothy Gaston did not breach the code of conduct while questioning a witness during a meeting of the Executive Office committee, Stormont's standards watchdog has found.A complaint had been lodged by Age NI after some of its staff appeared before the committee last NI argued Gaston's line of questioning towards Kellie Turtle was inappropriate and later complained to Stormont's standards investigation has concluded the MLA did not breach the code but described his questions to the witness as "excessive". In its report, published on Friday, Stormont's committee for standards and privileges said the commissioner had investigated two alleged breaches of the code of complainant had alleged Gaston had improperly interfered with the performance of the assembly by "distracting and diverting the committee away from the matter" that the witnesses had been invited to speak about and therefore interfered with the work of the had asked whether Age NI would regard it as transphobic if an elderly person in a care home requested to be assisted by someone of the same biological sex, and later made reference to previous comments on Ms Turtle's social media commissioner, Melissa McCullough, did not uphold the complaint, explaining that whether the MLA's questions were relevant or not, Gaston's role on the committee was to ask questions of witnesses who appear before also determined that Gaston had not breached another rule, which says MLAs should not subject anyone to "unreasonable and excessive personal attacks". 'Scrutiny is essential' Ms McCullough's report stated: "It is my view that it was excessive but not unreasonable or an attack on Dr Turtle to have asked the questions."However she did find that he had "failed to observe the Respect Principle" of conduct, which says MLAs should "show respect and consideration for others at all time".Following the publication of the report, Gaston said he welcomed the findings."This ruling is a welcome affirmation of the essential role that MLAs play in scrutinising public policy—particularly on sensitive and contested matters," he said."Scrutiny is not only permitted in the assembly —it is essential. Attempting to silence MLAs for raising legitimate concerns undermines the integrity of our democracy. "All who value freedom of speech and proper scrutiny should welcome this report."The chairwoman of Stormont's standards committee, Cathy Mason, said the committee took any allegation of a breach of the code of conduct "very seriously"."It is important that members should at all times conduct themselves in a manner which will maintain and strengthen the public's trust and confidence in the integrity of the assembly and that members should show respect and consideration for others at all times."
Belfast Telegraph
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
TUV hits out at other unionist parties over dual language signs – but DUP explains decision to swerve petition
Timothy Gaston has hit out at other unionist parties for not signing the petition The TUV has hit out at its fellow unionist parties after not a single MLA joined the party's petition against the Infrastructure Minister's decision to install dual language signs at Belfast's Grand Central Station. Timothy Gaston MLA raised the petition prior to Easter in opposition to Sinn Féin minister Liz Kimmins' decision to erect the signage – which includes both Irish and English – following legal advice.
