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MPs are in line for an inflation-busting 2.8 per cent pay rise this year, the body in charge of parliamentary salaries has announced – in a move that would take their wages to almost £94k.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa), which was set up in the wake of the expenses scandal, said its proposals in part reflect the “vital role” of MPs.
But critics said it would be a “bitter pill” to swallow for taxpayers and claimed MPs were being rewarded for failure. And senior citizens accused the government of hypocrisy for entertaining pay rises for MPs while taking winter fuel payments from pensioners.
Campaign group Silver Voices said if the pay rise goes through, “it will reek of hypocrisy”.
Founder Dennis Reed told The Independent: “To be in an apparent financial situation so dire a hard decision had to be taken to deprive 10 million old people of winter fuel payments, but now the situation is apparently not hard enough for there to not be above inflation pay rises for MPs.
“One can’t really argue MPs have been struggling for every penny, so it reeks of hypocrisy and will not go down well with pensioners.”
Ipsa chairman Richard Lloyd said: “IPSA has been responsible for deciding MPs’ pay since 2011. Since then, our aim has been to make fair decisions on pay, both for MPs and the public.
“Our pay proposal for 2025-26 reflects the experience of the wider working public sector population, and recognises both the vital role of MPs and the current economic climate.”
If approved, the increase would take an MP’s annual salary to £93,904, up from £91,346.
John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “This will be a bitter pill to swallow given politicians of both front benches have for years hammered the living standards of taxpayers.
“MPs are guilty of delivering a record high tax burden, persistent inflation and struggling services, yet are now being rewarded for this catalogue of failures.
“Pay for politicians should be strictly linked to the country’s economic performance, ideally to actual living standards measured by GDP per capita.”
Last March, No 10 said then prime minister Rishi Sunak would accept an inflation-busting 5.5 per cent increase in his MP’s pay after Ipsa recommended the basic salaries be increased from £86,584.
The rise was higher than the rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation.
At that stage Ipsa said the decision had been taken in line with the award recently agreed for the senior civil servants.
At the start of the last Parliament, in 2019, MPs were paid £79,468.
The latest Ipsa proposal is in line with the government’s recommendations on a wider public sector pay increase for this year and slightly above the current inflation rate of 2.5 per cent.
Mr Reed added: “It is a fundamental blunder and will be the legacy of this government, Thatcher the milk snatcher lived on… this is going to live on, too.”
Ministers are also paid a separate salary on top of being an MP.
Ipsa will consult on its proposals until mid-March. It is also carrying out a wider review of MPs’ salaries, which it is obliged to do in the first year after an election.
