The Conversation (0)
Louis Staples
Mar 05, 2020
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Getty
After two elections and a referendum in just four years, it’s fair to say that there are a lot more popular people out there than politicians.
Based on absolutely nothing but a hunch, we’d probably guess that parking wardens are probably more popular than MPs right now.
But the popularity of those looking to climb the Westminster career ladder is about to take another hit, after it has been announced that MPs are to receive an inflation-busting 3.1 per cent pay rise, bringing their basic annual salary to almost £82,000.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority announced that the increase will raise MPs' basic pay from £79,468 to £81,932 and will be effective from 1 April.
With inflation is running at 1.8 per cent, this represents a real-terms pay rise.
They will also receive increased expenses to cover the cost of staffing their parliamentary offices.
Before the pay rise MPs were already in the top 5 per cent of earners. This new increase means that the MP salary has increased £15,000 since 2015 at a time when public sector workers, from teachers to nurses, have seen their wages stagnate as inflation rose.
To put it mildly, the news that MPs are getting yet another pay rise has been met with a negative reaction.
In fact, the word “fury” might be more appropriate. What exactly did they do to deserve this pay rise? Argue about Brexit for a bit then call yet another election?
If you don’t believe us, here’s a snapshot of what people are saying on Twitter…
The salary of MPs has been a hotly debated topic of late. Lots of people have actually argued for lowering the MP salary. New Labour MP Nadia Whittome, 23, who became Britain's youngest MP when she was elected in December, announced that she would only be taking a £35,000 "workers" salary and would be the rest of it to charity. SNP MPs have previously donated their pay rises to charity in protest at wage stagnation under austerity.