MPs pledge to give pay rise to charities

MPs’ salaries will rise from £67,060 to £74,000 but there will be no opportunity for them to vote on the increase which has been set by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA).

Blackpool North and Cleveleys MP Paul Maynard pledged prior to the General Election that he would give away any pay rise he was entitled to.

He said today that he would honour that promise.

Mr Maynard told The Gazette: “I made it clear before the election that I did not think it was right to award MPs a rise of 10 per cent.

“If there had been a vote in the House of Commons I would have voted against it and if there was a mechanism to refuse it I would have taken it, however neither happened.

“I made the commitment in my election address that if this rise went ahead I would make donations to local charities of the post-tax extra and I intend to honour that pledge.

“I will work out the method of giving and will have an open and transparent process asking local figures to sit on a panel with me to decide to what causes I will make the donations.

“However high up on my list of causes will be those that will tackle loneliness among the elderly and those charities that will provide opportunities for young people.”

Blackpool South MP Gordon Marsden said the rise was “completely inappropriate” at a time of public pay restraint.

He said: “I was not in favour of the recommendation but MPs have no control over whether they take the pay rise or not. It is imposed on us.

“I do make charity donations and I will be looking at how I use money from this rise for all sorts of purposes.

“But it is part of an overall package whereby MPs have to make larger pension contributions.”

IPSA chairman Sir Ian Kennedy said the pay rise would not cost the taxpayer any money because it was being combined with cuts to expenses, pension and severance payments for MPs.

The independent watchdog, set up to bring in and run a new expenses and pay system for MPs after the expenses scandal of 2009, says in future MPs’ paywould rise in line with average rises in the public sector.

The Gazette tried but was unable to contact Wyre and Preston North MP Ben Wallace, Fylde MP Mark Menzies and Fleetwood and Lancaster MP Cat Smith for comments on the issue.