The salary for politicians is set to go up by just under £1,400 from April next year to £77,379
The salary for politicians is set to go up by just under £1,400 from April next year to £77,379
MPs have been handed another 1.8 per cent pay rise, the expenses watchdog confirmed today.

The salary for politicians is set to go up by just under £1,400 from April next year to £77,379.

It means their pay will have risen by around £11,000 in three years.

A 1.4 per cent pay rise in 2017 came on top of a 1.3 per cent uplift in 2016, and a big boost from £67,000 to £74,000 in July 2015.

News of the latest hike will cause fury among public sector workers who have been subject to tough restrictions since 2010.

The salary for politicians is set to go up by just under £1,400 from April next year to £77,379

Responsibility for setting MP pay was handed to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) in an effort to defuse controversy.

The the watchdog promptly caused an outcry by recommending a significant uplift despite the coalition government slashing spending and imposing austerity on the public sector.

Increases are now based on the annual change in average weekly earnings across the public sector in October - which the Office of National Statistics (ONS) calculated today at 1.8 per cent.

However, the measure has been criticised as it includes promotions and bonuses. As a result the boost for MPs has been higher than the 1 per cent cap imposed on other workers for the past two years.


Comment: One rule for them and another for us.


The ministerial element of pay for members of the government has been frozen until 2020.

The rise will be implemented early next year now the ONS has finalised its preliminary earnings figures.

Confirming the pay rise today, Ipsa said: 'This is in line with our determination on MPs' pay, published in July 2015, where we committed to adjusting MPs' pay at the same rate as changes in public sector earnings published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).'

The 1.8 per cent pay rise will be implemented early next year when the ONS finalises its preliminary earnings figures - but they are unlikely to change