Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Peter Robinson has confirmed plans to phase out ‘double jobbing’ which will see his party’s MPs end the practice of holding multiple political posts.
Critics have highlighted how senior DUP figures simultaneously hold seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly, serve as government ministers at Stormont, hold Westminster seats and serve on local councils.
Mr Robinson had already said colleagues would have to choose between being MPs or Assembly members and in the first stage of his party’s shake-up, he promised to reshuffle his senior politicians before the summer recess, removing most of his MPs from the Northern Ireland Executive.
The changes come against a background of public criticism over the multiple wages claimed by double-jobbing politicians and the Westminster expenses furore.
But Mr Robinson said he had already planned to deliver reform, but had to wait until the fledgling power-sharing government at Stormont bedded in.
He told an event in Co Down last night: “I want to announce that having taken the views of my Parliamentary colleagues it is my intention to announce changes to our Executive and Assembly team before the summer recess so that no more than one of my seven parliamentary colleagues who presently hold either a Ministerial position or Committee Chairmanship will continue to do so.
“This move is being done with their full agreement. The new team of Ministers and Committee Chairs will be briefed over he summer and be in place before the beginning of the Autumn term.
“This is a necessary prelude to the ending of double jobbing.” The DUP has nine MPs: Mr Robinson, his wife Iris, deputy leader Nigel Dodds, former leader Ian Paisley, Willie McCrea, Gregory Campbell, Sammy Wilson, David Simpson and Jeffrey Donaldson.
All sit in the Assembly, while Mr Robinson, Mr Dodds, Mr Campbell, Mr Wilson and Mr Donaldson all hold ministerial office.
As well as representing Assembly constituencies, some of the party’s most senior figures also remain councillors on local authorities, but Mr Robinson signalled wider change ahead.
“It is simply not possible to sustain and fully perform multiple roles whether they involve other elected positions or indeed interests outside Parliament,” he said.
Mr Robinson added: “The workload is too great and there are not enough hours in the day to do multiple jobs without health and other consequences.
“It is not for me to decide whether colleagues choose Westminster or the Assembly. We will each announce our own decisions in the coming months after we consult with our constituency associations.” MPs who are also MLAs receive their full Westminster salary and a third of the Stormont remuneration. The next Assembly elections are due in two years’ time.
About two thirds of the total of 108 members are councillors. But the number of councillors in Northern Ireland is to be cut as part of reforms to local government.
The DUP has faced criticisms, like other Members of Parliament, as a result of the Westminster expenses scandal that has dominated the headlines.
The party has in the last week unveiled a series of reform proposals for Westminster, though Mr Robinson said all Members of Parliament had to take responsibility for the public criticism being directed at politicians.
“Politicians by nature don’t find it easy to accept blame. It’s easy to say ‘blame the government because they have responsibility to lead‘ or ‘blame the two big parties because only they have the numbers to make changes‘ or ‘blame the Speaker because he is in a pivotal position‘,” he said.
“But let me be clear, every party and every MP allowed the system to continue and all of us are to blame.
“On Wednesday, for the first time in the three decades I have been in Parliament all the Party Leaders met together and crucially reached a comprehensive and robust agreement on how to move forward in the interim period.
“My own proposals for reform go beyond those agreed. I will submit those proposals to Sir Christopher Kelly.”
PA