Fury as MPs get £2,000 pay hike while hard-pressed staff see wages fall
Politicians will see their salaries rise by 2.7 per cent this year
MPS will get an inflation-busting £2,000 annual pay rise – but their staff are facing a real terms cut in wages.
From April, politicians will see their wages go up by 2.7 per cent – taking their salary to almost £80,000.
But the move has sparked a furious row as their staff have only been handed an average 1.5 per cent salary boost. This is less than the rate of inflation.
Campaigners blasted the pay body Ipsa for dishing out bumper salaries for politicians while the pay of hard-working staff lags behind.
And even MPs admitted the system is “broken” and demanded reform.
Harry Fone, from the Taxpayers’ Alliance, stormed: “A lot of taxpayers are going to be annoyed by this announcement.
“In the private sector, pay rises and bonuses are rewarded based on performance, not for just turning up.
“Ipsa are once again out of touch with the public.”
Labour MP Luke Pollard said: “Really disappointed that Ipsa are giving MPs a 2.7 per cent pay rise but only 1.5 per cent to my brilliant caseworkers and staff who work their socks off for people in Plymouth.
“This is a really bad decision. Not fussed about paying MPs more but staff should get a proper pay rise each year.”
Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle said the gap in pay boosts is “scandalous”.
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He added: “The system is broken and IPSA are part of the problem.”
Responding to the row, Theresa May’s spokesman said the pay of MPs is “a decision for Parliament”.
He added: “The Government only sets ministerial pay, which has been frozen since 2010.”
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