MP hands pay rise to charity
MP Mike Penning has pledged to give his pay rise to charity following the latest outcry over parliamentary salaries.
Members of Parliament are in line for a 1.5 per cent rise, which will bring pay packets from 64,766 to 65,737.
The award comes as many ordinary people struggle with pay freezes and hard on the heels of the expenses scandal, still simmering in the public's mind.
"Once I know how much it will be I will give it to the Royal British Legion," Mr Penning said.
"For my colleagues it will be up to them. We don't vote on it.
"I think things are very tight for people in my town so I will do what I did last year."
The rise has been recommended by the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB), an independent panel, and comes on top of last year's increase of 2.33 per cent.
In 2008 MPs agreed to give up the power to vote on their own salaries and to automatically accept the recommendations of the SSRB.
The latest rise comes into force on April 1.
"I have always said pay and rations of MPs should not be to do with MPs - it should be an independent body," Mr Penning said.
"That body has said 1.5 per cent but that's my choice and I will give it to the Legion for the fantastic work they do."
Mr Penning also gave last year's rise to the Royal British Legion and says so far this year he has donated around 7,000 to the Hemel Hempstead branch to support welfare projects for veterans.
The Conservative MP was given the all-clear in the investigation into parliamentary expenses carried out by Sir Thomas Legg.
South West Herts MP David Gauke said he would be accepting the pay rise.
"There's always an argument that MPs should never do better than anyone ever but where you end up in those circumstances is essentially only those who are independently wealthy can become MPs," the Tory MP said.
"I'm not sure that is the right direction."
Mr Gauke's expenses claims did not form part of the Legg enquiry.
Dave Prentis, general secretary of public sector workers union Unison, said: "Unison believes that recommendations made by any pay review body should be honoured.
"However, it does not seem right that MPs can get a 1.5 per cent pay increase, worth 1,000 a year on basic pay, when low paid workers such as teaching assistants, school dinner ladies, social care workers, road sweepers will get nothing, because their pay is being frozen."
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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