‘Out of touch’ claim as MPs get above-inflation pay rise
MPS ARE to receive a 2.7 per cent pay rise, taking their basic salary for 2019/20 from £77,379 to £79,468, it has been announced.
The £2,089 hike, effective from April 1, is well above the current inflation rate of 1.8 per cent on the main CPI measure.
It follows a 1.8 per cent boost to MPs’ pay last year, 1.4 per cent in 2017, 1.3 per cent in 2016 and a big increase from £67,000 to £74,000 in July 2015.
MPs’ pay is linked to average rises in the public sector, as determined by the Office for National Statistics.
The 2.7 per cent figure was announced by the ONS on an interim basis in December and confirmed last week to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa), which made the final announcement.
Following reforms to the way MPs’ pay is calculated, the rise is automatic and not subject to a vote in the House of Commons.
Chairs of Commons committees, such as West Yorkshire MPs Hilary Benn, Rachel Reeves and Yvette Cooper, will enjoy a 2.7 per
cent increase to the additional salary they receive on top of their basic pay, taking it from £15,509 to £15,928. Ministers’ salaries are determined separately.
TaxPayers’ Alliance spokesman Harry Fone said: “A lot of taxpayers are going to be annoyed by this announcement. In the private sector, pay rises and bonuses are rewarded based on performance, not for just turning up. Ipsa are once again out of touch with the public.”
Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union, said: “It is an outrage that MPs are rewarding themselves with an above-inflation pay rise while civil servants, who do some of the most vital jobs in society, are still subject to a cruel one per cent de-facto pay cap. PCS are balloting 120,000 members for strike action over pay this summer and today’s news will only anger them further.”
It emerged this week that more than a million public sector workers are paid below the voluntary living wage, including Government employees and NHS staff. The Living Wage Foundation said there was strong public support for public sector workers to be paid the rate of £9 an hour and £10.55 in London.
A lot of taxpayers are going to be annoyed by this announcement. TaxPayers’ Alliance spokesman Harry Fone.