Westminster MPs Michael Moore and David Mundell say they don’t want the massive pay hike recommended by the body that sets their salaries.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) which now controls the wages of MPs, says their basic wage should rise by around 10 per cent – from £66,396 to around £74,00.
We asked Lib Dem Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) and his Conservative coalition partner David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) if they would accept the rise. Both said they would not. But neither of course take home a basic pay.
Secretary of State for Scotland, Mr Moore has a Cabinet salary of £135,565, while Mr Mundell, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Office of Scotland, draws £89,435. Mr Mundell told us: “I haven’t sought, and don’t anticipate, receiving a pay rise. Ipsa, over which MPs have no control, are conducting a consultation on pay and I urge anybody with views to take part in the consultation.”
Mr Moore stated: “It is absolutely right that salaries and pensions are scrutinised and set independently by Ipsa. We can never again return to the arrangements where MPs decided their own pay and pensions. I welcome the suggestions to bring pensions and redundancy payments more into line with the rest of the public sector. But that principle has to extend to salaries, too, and like the majority of MPs I have spoken to, I would reject the increase proposed.”