MPs to receive £1,000 a year pay rise
MPs were yesterday handed a £1,000 a year pay rise which takes the annual salary of a backbencher to £65,737 a year. While the rise of 1.5% is slightly less than inflation it does come at a time when MPs expenses and MPs salaries are under the spotlight and many in the UK have seen their salaries frozen during the recession.
The increase will come into play on 1 April 2010 and while many MPs may argue that the expenses system has been adjusted and they are worse off, there has been no real progress in this particular area. There is a feeling that the "political gravy train" is still firing on all cylinders and while the rest of the UK suffers MPs do appear to be insulated from the vast majority of the financial pain being felt by others.
There is no doubt that the expenses system in the House of Commons and House of Lords need to be addressed in the short to medium term because many of the UK population are angry about the apparent "financial excesses" received during the lifetime of an MP. So far there has been no comment from David Cameron or Gordon Brown but at the end of the day the move has been made and the rise will come in.
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