A proposed 11% pay rise for MPs has been called “unacceptable” by Prime Minister David Cameron, who has not ruled out dropping the independent group responsible for the promised pay increase.
The pay increase was recommended by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) – an independent body responsible for setting the salaries of some government employees. MPs’ salaries would be increased from £66,396 to £74,000 under the plan, which would cost taxpayers an estimated £4.6 million in total.
Political leaders from all parties have condemned the proposed increase, claiming that it would harm public confidence in politicians. Labour leader Ed Miliband was very critical of the pay rise, claiming that it would not “command public confidence” and suggesting that it would alienate voters from their political leaders.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, David Cameron claimed that he might be able to block the pay rise from occurring. Mr Cameron claimed that “an 11 per cent pay rise in one year at a time of pay restraint is simply unacceptable.” The Prime Minister is pressuring Ipsa to “rethink” its decision and cancel the proposed pay increase.
Rises in living costs have affected millions of Britons, who spend more on petrol and energy than at any point in the past decade. At the same time, a downturn in private and public sector opportunities has forced many workers to take pay cuts and other compromises in their professional lives.
The proposed £74,000 salary for MPs is more than three times the average salary in the UK, fuelling complaints that politicians are compensated too generously while a large portion of the public deals with declining buying power. Leaders from all three parties are currently working on a solution to the “unacceptable” MP pay rise.
