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SALMOND TO GIVE SOME OF SALARY TO YOUTH FUND

Alex Salmond is responding to criticism of greed

Tuesday July 10,2007

By Kerry Gill, Scottish Political Editor

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ALEX Salmond last night announced that he had set up a trust to help youth organisations in north-east Scotland - funded by his MSP's salary.

Mr Salmond has been dogged over the past couple of weeks by the Liberal Democrats for taking his MP's salary as well as a third of his MSP's salary.

But in an effort to quash the squabble, Mr Salmond said he would put the Holyrood element towards the trust.

The Trust will be funded each month by his Scottish Parliamentary salary and the arrangement will last until the next UK General Election when Mr Salmond will stand down as MP for Banff and Buchan.

It will be administered by three independent trustees, chaired by Aberdeen solicitor and fishing industry leader, Roddy McColl.

Mr Salmond said: "I pledged that for the time I represent the north-east as an MSP and as an MP that I would only personally benefit from one parliamentary salary, and not the one plus a third which the rules stipulate.

"By establishing this Trust I am redeeming that commitment, and in so doing, allowing north-east community organisations to benefit."

He said the trust would be called "The Mary Salmond Trust" in honour of his late mother who spent a lifetime supporting community organisations, particularly as a Girl Guider.

Mr McColl added: "Alex asked me if I would be prepared to chair such a trust just after he was elected First Minister in May, and I am delighted to take on the role.

"Every single one of us knows local organisations which do exceptional work and need some encouragement and assistance."

Under the Scotland Mr Salmond was unable to take his MSP's salary while remaining an MP.

But the rules also stipulate that he has to take his MP's full salary plus one third of his Holyrood salary.

The First Minister will now donate the "third" of his Holyrood salary to the trust, and also add some of his own cash to make it the gross amount rather than what the cash would amount to after tax.

Labour's Shadow Health Secretary Andy Kerr said: "The tax paying public are right to feel angry, let down and double crossed by Alex Salmond's empty words.

"Salmond promised he would only claim one parliamentary salary and he hasn't. Instead his spin doctors have been desperately scrabbling around for a quick fix. "