MPs say no to 10% politicians’ payrise

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority recommended a rise which would see MPs’ annual pay packet rocket from £67,000 to £74,000, but a salary hike has not yet been approved.

Hemel Hempstead’s House of Commons representative Mike Penning has resumed his stance on the issue of MPs’ pay, saying they shouldn’t be the ones to decide the matter.

He also repeated his pledge to donate any such raise – which would far exceed the expected of inflation – to charity, as he has done previously.

MrPenning said: “My position is exactly the same – as soon as I got into the House of Commons I voted that MPs should never be allowed to vote on their pay and it is something I would never do.

“Common sense tells you there is so much austerity at the moment – I think it is really wrong. If they force it on us, I will donate my raise to charity as I have done the last three times.”

Fellow Tory and South West Herts MP David Gauke said the excessive pay leap would be ‘inappropriate’ in this time of austerity – echoing sentiments raised by the big three party leaders David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband.

Mr Gauke said: “We need restraint in public sector pay. This isn’t the end of the process – there would still be a long way to go – but I don’t think it’s right to get a big pay rise at the moment. It is a time when we are having to make savings.

“There is a debate about how much MPs should have, but I don’t think that can be justified.”