SCOTTISH National Party MSP James Dornan urged all Scottish Premiership clubs to pay their staff the living wage.

Hearts are the only club in the top flight who have signed up to the Scottish Living Wage scheme, which is currently set at £8.25 and higher than the national minimum wage.

Mr Dornan has called on chief executive of the SPFL Neil Doncaster to force the remaining 11 clubs to adopt the living wage.

He said:“Payment of the living wage makes sense for any business. Football clubs, however, have a particular duty to their supporters and communities to be good employers and role models for other organisations.

“Football in Scotland is a national passion. Clubs are at the heart of their communities and fans often make huge financial sacrifices to support their teams.

“Scottish football clubs have always led by example on a huge range of issues — from anti-racist and anti-sectarian campaigns to generous charity and community work.

“This has been an important recognition of Scottish football’s social responsibility.

“Everyone employed in Scottish football, from star strikers to the cleaners and box office staff, deserve to be paid a fair wage.”

FC United of Manchester became the first club in Britain to introduce the living wage back in October 2014, with Hearts bringing it in weeks later.

Chelsea became the first Premier League club to pay staff the living wage in December that same year.

At the time, Hearts owner Ann Budge said: “Having reviewed the salary structure across all areas of the club, we propose to implement the nationally approved living wage, across all staff, including part-time and contract workers.

“We believe it is entirely in keeping with the values we hold dear as a club.”

Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “With over half of children in poverty in Scotland living in households where someone works, paying the living wage has never been more important.

“It is disappointing that so many football clubs are currently not accredited living wage employers and we hope that more will follow the example of Hearts in the coming weeks and months.

“Football clubs across Scotland play an important role in the communities where they have roots, supporting a range of social and educational programmes.

But their social responsibility shouldn’t stop there. They need to play their part in tackling in-work poverty.

“It is important that everyone who contributes to the match-day experience is paid a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.”