Do MPs deserve a pay rise amid public sector strikes? Vote in our poll

10 February 2023 , 11:29

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MPs will receive a 2.9 percent pay rise from April 1 (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

MPs will receive a 2.9 percent pay rise from April 1, boosting their basic salary from £84,144 to £86,584 - and we want to know what you think.

The £2,440 salary increase comes amid a wave of strikes by nurses, railway workers, teachers and others over pay disputes as inflation hovers around 10 percent.

Public sector workers have called for inflation-busting pay increases which ministers have said the country can't afford.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is demanding a pay rise of 5 percent above the rate of inflation as it claims its members have had a real terms pay cut of 20 percent since 2010.

Meanwhile, households across the UK are struggling with cost-of-living pressures, including soaring energy prices and high inflation.

Teachers, civil servants and train drivers walk out in biggest strike in decade

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) said the increase was in line with the average public sector workers' rise in 2022/23.

MPs’ pay is set by Ipsa, an independent watchdog set up following the expenses scandal, which makes a calculation based on public sector wages.

Richard Lloyd, Ipsa's chairman, said: "In confirming MPs pay for next year, we have once again considered very carefully the extremely difficult economic circumstances, the Government's evolving approach to public sector pay in the light of forecasted rates of inflation, and the principle that MPs' pay should be reflective of their responsibility in our democracy.

"Our aim is to ensure that pay is fair for MPs, regardless of their financial circumstances, to support the most diverse of parliaments.”

Do you think MPs deserve a pay rise amid public sector strikes? Vote in our poll HERE to have your say.

Let us know which option you voted for and why in the comments section below.

The Mirror will also be discussing the topic with you below in the comments and you can join in! All you have to do is sign up, submit your comment, register your details and then you can take part.

Freya Hodgson