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Nick Clegg: public would not understand if MPs took pay rise Nick Clegg: public would not understand if MPs took pay rise
(7 days later)
Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, has joined the growing band of MPs pledging not to take any pay rise if one is offered by the independent pay body. He said: "The public would find it impossible to understand if they took a pay rise." Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, has joined the growing band of MPs pledging not to take any pay rise if one is offered by the independent pay body . He said: "The public would find it impossible to understand if they took a pay rise."
He said he would not take a penny of the increase and would hand the money back to taxpayers as he had with previous increases. He said personally he would not take a single penny of the increase and would hand the money back to taxpayers as he has had with previous increases.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) is expected to offer a pay rise of £10,000, but not until after the general election.The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) is expected to offer a pay rise of £10,000, but not until after the general election.
After the expenses scandal, Ipsa was given responsibility for setting pay rises, but MPs are free to reject the increase, given the anger at how living standards are being squeezed across the country. After the MPs' expenses scandal Ipsa was given responsibility for setting pay rises, but it MPs are free to reject the increase given the anger at the way in which living standards are being squeezed across the country.
Clegg said: "My own view is that the public would find it impossible to understand – particularly as [there are] millions of people in the public sector whose pay is only increasing by 1% – that their parliamentary representatives at a time like this would be receiving pay increases far in excess of that 1% increase," he said.Clegg said: "My own view is that the public would find it impossible to understand – particularly as [there are] millions of people in the public sector whose pay is only increasing by 1% – that their parliamentary representatives at a time like this would be receiving pay increases far in excess of that 1% increase," he said.
"Speaking for myself, I would certainly seek to do whatever I can to make sure that either this decision is not taken in the first place – but that's out of my hands – but, secondly, if it were to be taken, not to take that pay increase." "Speaking for myself I would certainly seek to do whatever I can to make sure that either this decision is not taken in the first place – but that's out of my hands – but, secondly, if were to be taken, not to take that pay increase."
The Liberal Democrat business secretary, Vince Cable, warned that public reaction to a potential pay rise for MPs would be very hostile. The Liberal Democrat business secretary, Vince Cable, warned that public reaction to a potential MP pay rise would be very hostile.
"Let's wait and see what the report says and let's see how MPs react to it – it's not my job to tell them how to behave. But I think everybody will understand the wider context and the attitude of the public, which I think will be very hostile if the political class decides to put its own interests first.""Let's wait and see what the report says and let's see how MPs react to it – it's not my job to tell them how to behave. But I think everybody will understand the wider context and the attitude of the public, which I think will be very hostile if the political class decides to put its own interests first."
Downing Street said any increase would have to match increases in the public sector. The Conservative party chairman, Grant Shapps, said he had taken a pay freeze for the past five years and predicted that the Tories would go into the next election with a promise to cut the cost of politics. Downing Street said any increase would have to match increases in the public sector. The Conservative chairman, Grant Shapps, said he had taken a pay freeze for the past five years and promised that the Conservatives would go into the next parliament with a promise to cut the cost of politics.
Mark Pritchard, an influential Tory backbencher who was one of the few MPs to countenance a rise in public, called for "a mature debate" on the issue. He said: "We do not want to go back to the past when the house was populated by multimillionaires and the landed gentry." Influential Tory backbencher Mark Pritchard, who was one of the few MPs to countenance a rise in public, calling for "a mature debate" on the issue, said: "We do not want to go back to the past when the house was populated multimillionaries and the landed gentry."
He accepted that MPs' pay was two or three times the average salary, but said the majority of MPs who came into parliament took a major pay cut, belieing the narrative that all MPs had their noses in the trough. He also claimed British parliamentarians' pay had fallen behind that of their colleagues elsewhere in Europe. He accepted that MPs' pay was two or three times the average salary, but said the majority of MPs who came into parliament took a major pay cut, belieing the narrative that all MPs had their noses in the trough. He also claimed British parliamentarians had fallen behind their colleagues across Europe.
At the morning lobby briefing, asked whether David Cameron had defined how any pledge not to allow the cost of politics to rise would be calculated, the prime minister's spokesman said: "No, it's more about the general costs in terms of how much politics and doing politics – we're talking about pay, ministers' pay, the number of MPs, all these kind of things – cost the taxpayer. At the morning lobby briefing, the prime minster's spokesman was asked if David Cameron had defined how any pledge not to allow the cost of politics to rise would be calculated, he said: "No, it's more about the general costs in terms of how much politics and doing politics – we're talking about pay, ministers' pay, the number of MPs, all these kind of things – cost the taxpayer.
"The point that the prime minister is trying to get to is that he is looking at the variety of different ways we can ensure that, at a time of fiscal constraint when we are asking people to tighten their belts, that it is important that that is reflected in Westminster as well.""The point that the prime minister is trying to get to is that he is looking at the variety of different ways we can ensure that, at a time of fiscal constraint when we are asking people to tighten their belts, that it is important that that is reflected in Westminster as well."