The annual salary bill for SNP ministers is set to rocket by more than £500,000 per year after John Swinney announced a pay rise of almost £20,000.
The first pay rise is 16 years will mean junior SNP ministers earn £100,575 per year (up from £81,449), and cabinet secretaries £116,125.
Critics of the £19,126 per year rise, The Times reports, say the move will inflate ministers' public sector pensions and severance payments.
However, Swinney himself will reportedly not accept his pay rise, which would have pushed his salary up to over £155,000.
Dame Jackie Baillie, the Scottish Labour deputy leader, us quoted in The Times as saying: “While Scots are struggling, SNP ministers are being rewarded for their failure."
Craig Hoy, the Scottish Conservative shadow cabinet secretary for finance and local government, said: “The huge salary increase John Swinney has given SNP ministers can’t be related to their performance in office, which has been uniformly dismal."
A freeze on ministerial pay rises was introduced by for first minister Alex Salmond following the banking crisis 16 years ago.
A Scottish government spokesman said: “Ministerial and MSP salaries are set and paid by the Scottish parliament. The MSP element of pay for ministers for 2025-26 will be identical to that of other MSPs.
“The ministerial element of pay has been frozen for 16 years at 2008-09 levels and this will remain in place for 2025-26."