Keeping It In The Family 4
At the start of the month the DUP said they wouldn't be issuing a list of MLAs who employ family members on the grounds of staff confidentiality. But then a recent list of constituency advice centre staff removed from their party website came to light. The party pointed out that this was out of date. Now the party chairman Lord Morrow has confirmed that the DUP employs 136 people in total of whom 26 are relatives of MLAs.
Here is the DUP list:
Gregory Campbell – wife (Full Time) – employs 7 in total
Nigel Dodds – wife (Full Time) and son (Part Time) – employs 7 in total
Jeffrey Donaldson – wife (Part Time) – employs 8 in total
William Hay – son-in-law (Full Time) – employs 3 in total
William Irwin – daughter (Full Time) – employs 2 in total
Nelson McCausland – nephew (Part Time) – employs 3 in total
Ian McCrea – wife (Part Time) – employs 4 in total
William McCrea – son (Full Time) and daughter (Full Time) – employs 6 in total
Michelle McIlveen – brother (Full Time) – employs 3 in total
Adrian McQuillan – sister-in-law (Full Time) – employs 3 in total
Maurice Morrow – sister-in-law (Full Time) – employs 3 in total
Robin Newton – wife (Full Time) and son (Part Time) – employs 2 in total
Dr Paisley – son (Part Time) and two daughters (Full Time) – employs 7 in total
George Robinson – son (Full Time) and nephew (Part Time) – employs 4 in total
Iris Robinson – son (Full Time) and daughter-in-law (Part Time) – employs 6 in total
Peter Robinson – son (Full Time) and daughter (Full Time) – employs 4 in total
Jimmy Spratt – wife (Part Time) – employs 3 in total
Jim Wells – daughter (Part Time) – employs 6 in total
Separately it's been confirmed that John Lyon, the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner is examining a complaint about Ian Paisley Senior's employment of his son as a Westminster researcher. He is yet to decide if it merits a full investigation. Ian Jr. has confirmed that he earns between 9 thousand and 11 thousand pounds for this role.
Meanwhile our Investigations Correspondent Mike McKimm has a story about Gregory Campbell's office allowance in East Londonderry which you can hear on tonight's Evening Extra.
UPDATE: After I posted this yesterday the DUP put out a clarification:
"Further to the recent disclosure of information regarding relatives employed by MPs and MLAs please be aware that Edwin Poots employs his wife on a part-time basis.
19 out of 36 representatives employ family members. The total number (27) of family members employed by the DUP amounts to less than 20% of the 136 people employed by the party. "
I'm 
