Top earner : The SNP have voted to make Nicola Sturgeon the best-paid politician in Britain . The Scottish National Party has voted to make Nicola Sturgeon the best-paid politician in Britain . The Scottish Parliament , which is controlled by the SNP , rubber-stamped a pay rise for all its members that takes Miss Sturgeon ’ s official salary to £144,687 a year . Her pay is now well above David Cameron ’ s £142,500 earnings as well as the £143,911 that Boris Johnson is paid for his role as Mayor of London . Aides to the First Minister sensed a looming PR disaster and have insisted she would not take her salary in full . The row follows the Scottish Parliament ’ s vote on a 0.7 per cent salary rise yesterday . The move – which was passed unopposed – increases the First Minister ’ s official salary by just over £1,000 to £144,687 . MSPs are currently paid 87.5 per cent of an MP ’ s salary , a figure that reflects their lesser responsibilities . But they voted to break that link , saying it was because they could not accept a 10 per cent pay rise mooted for MPs after the election . However , the move means that MSPs ’ wages will rise by 0.7 per cent to £59,089 on April 1 . Miss Sturgeon will earn more than any other politician despite having no control of defence or foreign affairs , and only limited say on issues such as tax and benefits . Critics pointed out that she only serves about five million people , compared to 64million served by Mr Cameron . Her aides said that she would actually draw a more modest salary of £135,605 . But Tory MPs accused the SNP of treating voters in the rest of the country with contempt . Brian Binley said Miss Sturgeon should pay for any MSPs ’ pay rise by levying taxes in Scotland . Scroll down for video . Mr Binley added : ‘ Sadly , I ’ m not surprised by this . Every person living in Scotland already gets far more spent on them than my constituents in England , and it ’ s no surprise to see SNP politicians wanting their share of it . ‘ If people in Scotland want to pay for Nicola Sturgeon and her MSPs then that would be one thing – but it is taxpayers in England who are picking up the bill for the SNP ’ s profligacy . ‘ People in my constituency are sick to death of being asked to pay up so that Scots can have more spent on them . Nicola Sturgeon 's pay is now well above David Cameron ’ s £142,500 earnings - even though she only serves about five million people . ‘ They are also sick to death of seeing the SNP , who wanted out of this nation six months ago , now wanting to run the country. ’ Fellow Tory Charlie Elphicke said the pay rise underlined the threat posed by the SNP . ‘ This is a harbinger of what the SNP would do if they ever got into government , ’ he said . ‘ We would get more spending , more borrowing and a total lack of restraint . ‘ Nicola Sturgeon is obviously not worth more than David Cameron – the idea is laughable . But the SNP have no appreciation of the struggle faced by millions of people who work hard , pay their taxes and do their best to make ends meet . It ’ s all someone else ’ s money to them. ’ On Monday , Miss Sturgeon made a speech in London in which she vowed to work with Labour to ‘ lock the Tories ’ out of power . She insisted voters would welcome her influence as a way to end austerity policies . Nicola Sturgeon 's pay is also above the £143,911 that Boris Johnson is paid for his role as Mayor of London . The pay row came as Labour ’ s leader in Scotland claimed that the funding deal under which Scotland receives more than its fair share of cash for public services would be made ‘ permanent ’ if Labour wins power . The so-called Barnett Formula means that public spending per head in England stands at just £8,529 , compared to a staggering £10,152 in Scotland . Tory MPs – and many Labour MPs in England – want the formula to be scrapped as part of any deal to give Scotland additional powers . But Jim Murphy said : ‘ The Labour Party view is that the Barnett Formula is permanent – it is here to stay. ’ And he added : ‘ Abolishing the Barnett Formula would be a form of maximum austerity that Scotland has never seen the like of before . ’
Scottish National Party vote to make Nicola Sturgeon best-paid politician in England . Salary boost to £144,687 was rubber stamped by the Scottish Parliament . Pay now above David Cameron 's £142,500 and Boris Johnson 's £143,911 . But aides say she would actually draw a more modest salary of £135,605 . Critics point out that Miss Sturgeon only serves about five million people .