Scotland's four smallest councils — Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles and Clackmannanshire — will see their chief executives among the biggest pay rises under a new Cosla–Alace framework. The scale sets chief executive salaries between £165,755 and £230,620 and will be fully applied by 1 November 2026. The average increase across 32 council chiefs is almost £20,000 (around 12%), while many frontline staff will receive about 4%. Trade unions say the move risks public and staff backlash.
Scotland's Smallest Councils' Chiefs Set for Up to 24% Pay Rise Under New National Framework
Scotland's four smallest councils — Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles and Clackmannanshire — will see their chief executives among the biggest pay rises under a new Cosla–Alace framework. The scale sets chief executive salaries between £165,755 and £230,620 and will be fully applied by 1 November 2026. The average increase across 32 council chiefs is almost £20,000 (around 12%), while many frontline staff will receive about 4%. Trade unions say the move risks public and staff backlash.
03:34 AM, 11/14/2025Politics
Chief executives in Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles and Clackmannanshire to see biggest increases
The chief executives of Scotland's four smallest councils are set to receive the largest salary increases under a newly agreed national pay framework for local authority chief officers. The framework, negotiated between Cosla (the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) and Alace (the association representing council leaders), places chief executive salaries on a scale from £165,755 to £230,620 depending on council size.
Under the new scale, Oliver Reid, chief executive of Orkney Council (population c. 22,000), will see his salary rise from £133,530 to £165,755 by 1 November 2026 — an increase of £32,225 (about 24%). In the Western Isles, incoming chief executive pay will start at £136,389 and move to £165,755 next year, a rise of £29,366. Other notable changes include Moray (from £140,136 to £173,217, up £33,081), Midlothian (around a £30,000 rise) and Stirling (around £24,000).
Across Scotland's 32 local authorities the average uplift for chief executives is almost £20,000, equivalent to roughly a 12% increase. That compares with a 4% uplift for many frontline staff this year and follows an average council tax increase of about 9.5%.
Cosla said the review was overdue, noting chief executive pay had not been revised for 25 years. The organisation argued the scope and legal responsibilities of councils — and the complexity, scale and risk of the chief executive role — have grown, creating recruitment and retention pressures. Cosla pointed out that chief executives oversee wide-ranging services including education and childcare, housing, social work and care, roads and transport, waste and recycling, and leisure and culture.
The full new pay levels are due to be applied by 1 November 2026. In addition, all local government staff will be covered by a nationally negotiated pay settlement that takes effect from April.
Roz Foyer, general secretary of the STUC, said: "Cosla's decision to award top bosses above-inflation pay rises is deeply flawed and will quite rightly create a huge backlash from workers and the public they serve. Staff and service users across the country are facing cuts to services, continued low pay and an increasing cost of living. It is simply rubbing salt into the wounds of ordinary workers who, yet again, can see that when it comes to pay it's one rule for the bosses and another rule for everyone else."
This change has prompted debate about fairness and priorities in local government pay, with supporters arguing the adjustment is necessary to reflect modern responsibilities and opponents warning of a damaging message to frontline staff and the public.