David Cameron has sacked the head of the independent body charged with setting military pay after he defied an order calling for troops’ salary hikes to be limited, the Daily Telegraph reported on Friday.
Alasdair Smith was removed from the role of chairman of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body after telling minsters that servicemen needed a pay rise to compensate for the added pressure they faced due to defence cuts, the paper reported.
The organisation’s annual report released on Thursday called for a one percent increase in basic pay for soldiers, sailors and airmen.
The Ministry of Defence said servicemen would receive this next month.
However, the government rejected an additional call for a 0.5 percent rise in the “X-factor”, a supplement added to compensate for the challenging nature of working in the military.
Smith told the Telegraph about his dismissal.
“It has been an honour and a privilege to do this job for the last three years,” he said.
“I have enjoyed doing it. Had the government asked me to continue, I would have agreed.”
Military pay advisor sacked
