MPs get 1.5pc pay increase next month

THE salaries of MPs are to rise by 1.5 per cent to £65,737 from next month, it was revealed last night.

The increase of nearly 1,000 is likely to spark fury in the wake of revelations about expenses abuses and with millions of workers across the private and public sectors facing freezes or even cuts. However, it will come into force automatically because the Senior Salaries Review Body now has the final say on parliamentary pay under arrangements introduced in 2008.

Downing Street moved quickly to state that Ministers will not take the extra money due to MPs, and have also agreed to freeze their Ministerial pay.

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A spokeswoman said: "The Prime Minister is clear that we need to strengthen public confidence in the political system and reduce the cost of politics.

"That is why paid Government Ministers will not be accepting the pay rise in MP salaries generated by the annual formula and based on the average pay award across the public sector in the previous year."