A PAY rise for MPs has been proposed while the UK Government plans major spending cuts set to be unveiled this week.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa), which oversees MPs’ pay and expenses, has recommended a 2.8% pay rise – taking politicians’ pay to £93,904.
Ipsa said the decision was in line with wider Government pay recommendations for public sector workers.
But it will likely infuriate members of the public, who have suffered years of wage stagnation.
It comes as the Government prepares to unveil a raft of spending cuts when the Chancellor delivers the Spring Statement on Wednesday.
Cuts to benefits and foreign aid have already been announced and reports suggest that further savings will be found in English schools by ending universal free meals and period products for pupils.
The Department for Work and Pensions has announced plans to cut £5 billion from the social security budget, mainly by making it harder to qualify for Personal Independence Payments, paid to disabled people.
Some measure of dissent is building within the Labour Party, with Scottish backbencher Brian Leishman (above) recently warning his Cabinet colleagues that "we cannot claim there is no austerity under Labour if we are going to cut that much money from welfare".
Elsewhere, Labour are facing calls from within their ranks to back down on plans to slash tax for tech giants like Amazon and Meta in bid to convince Donald Trump to ditch tariffs on UK steel.
Under the Parliamentary Standards Act, IPSA is required to review MPs’ salaries within the first year of a new parliament, by early July.
The watchdog said it would hold a further consultation on the determination of MPs’ pay for the rest of the current parliamentary term in the coming months.
