‘Bitter pill’: MPs set to be on almost £94k after above inflation pay rise

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Political Reporter

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Emergency services have been called to the Palace of Westminster where a man has scaled one of the buildings.
Emergency services have been called to the Palace of Westminster where a man has scaled one of the buildings.

Plans for MPs to earn almost £94,000 after an above inflation pay rise have been criticised as a “bitter pill to swallow”.

Members of Parliament (MPs) are in line for a 2.8 per cent pay increase which would put their annual salaries at £93,904, up from £91,346.

It comes after the body in charge of their pay – the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) – recommended a slightly above-inflation increase.

The proposals are subject to a consultation but could come into force in April – and mark a significant increase from the start of the last Parliament, when MPs were paid £79,468.

In response, John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA), which campaigns for value for money, said: “This will be a bitter pill to swallow given politicians of both front benches have for years hammered the living standards of taxpayers.”

He added: “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.”

IPSA’s recommendation echoes the government’s own recommendations on public sector pay increases, which is slightly above the current inflation rate of 2.5 per cent.

The watchdog body has set MPs’ salaries since it was set up in 2011 following the expenses scandal, and chairman Richard Lloyd insists it aims to “make fair decisions on pay, both for MPs and the public”.

He said: “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.”

The consultation will run until mid-March, while IPSA is also carrying out a wider review of MPs’ salaries, which it is obliged to do in the first year after an election.