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The basic salary of a backbench MP is to increase by £1,000 from 1 April, taking their pay from £64,766 to £65,737 a year.
The decision was made following the recommendations of the independent Senior Salaries Review Body.
In the past MPs voted on their pay, but in 2008 MPs agreed to give up their right to set their own pay, therefore the 1.5 per cent rise will be automatic.
Even though the award is below the current 3.7 per cent inflation rate, it is bound to prove unpopular following expenses scandal.
Public sector unions are angry, amid commitments made by all three main political parties to impose pay freezes as a means of helping cutting the budget deficit.
Downing Street said that ministers would not take the rise. Members of the Cabinet currently receive an extra £79,754 annually, bringing their total salary to £144,520.
A spokeswoman said: "The prime minister is clear that we need to strengthen public confidence in the political system and reduce the cost of politics.
"That is why paid government ministers will not be accepting the pay rise in MP salaries generated by the annual formula and based on the average pay award across the public sector in the previous year. They will also not be accepting a rise in ministerial salaries this year."
From 2012, the new Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority will decide on MP's pay.
Article Comments
Outrageous!! How do MP's go about re-gaining the trust and respect of the electorate? They vote themselves a pay increase, of course. Is there anyone else in Britain who can do this? With that the expenses scandal still very much in the minds of every voter, and pay freezes being applied not only in the private but also now being expected of public sector employees, how can this annual arrogant practice of "voting your own salary increase" continue? No wonder then that everyone I come in contact with has a innate distrust of politicians and is increasingly lethargic towards politics as a whole. Time then to clean up politics, and the Jury Team http://www.juryteam.org offers the best chance to regain some of that trust in our elected representatives.
The Jury Team propose this can be achieved and would do this by holding a referendum, where ultimately it is the people who decide. Good governance is for the national, rather than party political, interest. How would this change things?. For a start, MP's, ministers and their political staff would be paid in line with civil service pay scales and all expenses would be approved along civil service guidelines http://p19-civil-service-pay-scales.php. Furthermore the Jury Team suggests that MP's should also meet the seven Nolan Principles of Public Life - namely, 'Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openess, Honesty and Leadership'. This is something currently all civil servicemen and women have to adhere to. With this system already in place in respect of other public servants, it would be a low cost to implement it for MP's. No more would there be abuses such as the notorious second home "flipping", moat cleaning or installation of duck islands.
SarahJT
5th Mar 2010 at 2:13 pm
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