I set out my position on MP’s pay here, back in September. I made clear I would give up anything over the annual 1% pay cap that applies to the rest of the public sector. That is what I have done, donating the extra pay to the Elmbridge Community Fund, a local fund that I help set up to support pockets of social need in an otherwise relatively affluent borough.
This year, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has proposed a 1.3% pay rise. It uses the Office for National Statistics methodology to track public sector pay levels and ensure equivalence for MPs. It explains the extra 0.3% above 1% as follows:
‘This is in line with our determination on MPs’ pay, published in July 2015, where we committed to adjusting MPs’ pay for the rest of this Parliament at the same rate as changes in public sector earnings published by the Office of National Statistics. The ONS index takes account of promotions and bonuses which may explain why the figure is higher than the 1 per cent wider public sector pay policy.‘
So, I will accept this 1.3% pay rise because it - in practice - matches the way the 1% pay cap is implement for the rest of the public sector. However, I will only accept the 1.3% against my current salary (which does not include the earlier pay rise of 10%).