Shropshire Star

Poll: Should MPs get their full 10% pay rise?

Chancellor  George Osborne has insisted a 10 per cent pay hike for MPs is "unacceptable" - after the Commons watchdog reiterated its determination to push ahead with the rise.

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Mr Osborne suggested the move would be blocked after the general election, stressing that the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority's (Ipsa) position was not "final".

The comments came after new Ipsa chief executive Marcial Boo reiterated its commitment to the increase from £67,000 to £74,000.

But Ludlow MP Philip Dunne has already gone on record saying it was "extraordinary" that Ipsa had come up with such a significant rise.

Mr Osborne promised that the issue would be "tackled".

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"I don't think it is acceptable at a time when there is continuing pay restraint in the public sector that MPs would receive such a big increase," he said.

"But this is not the final verdict, this is not the final report. There will be a report after the election and that's when we are going to have to tackle this issue."

Mr Boo said the economy was recovering and politicians should not be paid a "miserly amount".

"All the evidence points towards MPs' salaries having fallen behind," he said.

Some viewed the £74,000 figure as "at the low end" and failure to pay "fair" rates would make it harder to recruit good candidates for parliament in future.

"This is an important job, the job of an MP," Mr Boo said.

"They are there to represent us all, to form laws, to send young people to war.

"It is not an easy thing to do. We want to have good people doing the job and they need to be paid fairly.

"Now, that's not paid in excess but it's not being paid a miserly amount either.

"It's our job to reach the judgement of what the right amount is. There are lots and lots of professionals in public life and in the private sector who earn a lot more than that - so it is not an excessive amount of money at all."

There was an outcry when Ipsa announced the rise last year, with David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg arguing it was unacceptable at a time when public sector rises were capped at 1 per cent.

MPs are already due a 1 per cent increase to £67,731 next April and under Ipsa's plan it will go up again a month later to £74,000.

Speaking earlier this year, Mr Dunne said: "I do think it is extraordinary they have come up with such a significant rise.

"Obviously it doesn't apply until after the next election.

"Personally, I have not claimed for many of the expenses which we are entitled to.

"I really don't know if it will go through, I don't think Parliament has the power to stop it unless we quash Ipsa and, after going through all the difficulties from the expenses scandal after which IPSA was formed, I think that would be perverse and most unlikely.

"The rise is over a year away and I have to win an election first so I don't think the decision (whether to accept) is mine."

Mr Boo - whose own £120,000 salary is £10,000 more than that of his predecessor - insisted a change in the law would be needed to prevent Ipsa following through on its proposals.

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