Should MP’s get a pay rise amid a cost of living crisis?

National World - LocalTV

MP’s are set to see an above inflation pay rise. This means their annual salary will reach nearly £94,000. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has proposed MPs receive this 2.8% pay rise for MP’s from April.

Transcript

00:00The fact that MPs will be on over £90,000 a year would seem mind-boggling to many people

00:09who could never imagine earning that much in a year, as is the average wage in the mid-thirties,

00:17and people are really struggling. Now, of course, there is a counter-argument to that,

00:22that you've got to pay some MPs who have a wide responsibility for the number of people

00:28in their constituency, which is many tens of thousands, and indeed, of course, they

00:31have to be based in London. Of course, I know there are expenses for that. It's a real difficult

00:36one because you say you want the best people possible to be in the positions of influence

00:42because, of course, they oversee and vote on the laws.

00:46The British Chambers of Commerce has said that the data underlines the inflationary

00:50pressures in the economy and the real challenges businesses are facing. The firm added that

00:56firms are dealing with significant cost burdens, which threaten to fuel inflation further.

01:01From my analysis of Parliament, if you are a good, hard-working MP, you're working probably

01:08up to 100 hours a week in terms of being at Parliament, doing all that's required there,

01:13and then coming back probably at the weekend and doing all the constituency work. So it's

01:16a really difficult job and people are under pressure. How would you set the pay? It's

01:23almost an arcane process, but of course it's to recognise the fact that we want the best

01:29people to enter Parliament. But of course, I fully accept the argument of others that

01:33we don't always get those people and it is very difficult. I think it's more so because

01:38so many people see these kinds of views. Why would you want to subject yourself to that?

01:44The present time, of course, where people are really struggling with energy, food bills,

01:49and whatever else, nothing is coming down. And I don't

01:52know many people who are getting £2,000 pay rises, for sure.

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