MP Tim Farron vows to give pay rise to 'good causes'

Tim Farron said it was an 'insult' that members of Parliament were being given a salary hike 'at the same time that Conservative MPs are imposing a tax rise on working people'.

The Westmorland and Lonsdale MP vowed, therefore, to give away his additional earnings to worthwhile causes. 

The annual adjustment to MPs' pay of 2.7 per cent for 2022-23 - announced by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) - is the same as the average increase that public-sector employees received last year.

It will bring their overall salary to £84,144 from £81,932 from April 1. 

Simon Fell, MP for Barrow and Furness, said: "I signed a public letter opposing increases in MPs' pay during the pandemic, but there is a reason why we are not supposed to mark our own homework, and the independent body responsible for setting our pay has decided to adjust it at the same rate as changes in public-sector earnings, as published by the Office for National Statistics.

"It is the first increase in MPs' pay for two years, as pay remained unchanged in 2021."

Richard Lloyd, chairman of IPSA, said MPs' pay was reasonable and that they had dealt with 'dramatically' increased workloads over the past 12 months.

"MPs play a vital role in our democracy and this is reflected in their pay," he said.

"It is right that MPs are paid fairly for the responsibility and the unseen work they do helping their constituents, which dramatically increased last year.

"For Parliament to reflect society, it is vital that people from all walks of life can be an MP."

The TaxPayers' Alliance said, however, that working households were likely to be 'furious' about politicians' earnings being increased while they suffered under 'crippling tax hikes'.

"Elected officials should show restraint and only accept rises when economic conditions allow," said John O'Connell, chief executive of the pressure group.