Overview

• John Swinney approved a salary increase of £19,126 for SNP ministers, ending a 16-year freeze on ministerial pay.
• Six SNP ministers, including cabinet secretaries Mairi Gougeon, Shona Robison, and Fiona Hyslop, announced plans to step down at the next Scottish Parliament elections.
• Critics allege the timing of the pay rise is designed to boost ministers' pensions and severance packages ahead of anticipated electoral losses.
• Public and political criticism has intensified, with opponents condemning the pay hike during Scotland's ongoing cost of living crisis and rising council taxes.
• The first minister has opted out of the pay increase to avoid perceptions of personal gain, while the Scottish government maintains that salaries are set by the Scottish Parliament.