By Tom Connell
Taxpayers in Leeds have been angered by MPs receiving an inflation-busting pay rise despite teachers, nurses and other public sector workers having their increases capped.
Members of Parliament will receive 1.4% whereas other public sector workers will only receive 1% – below the current UK inflation rate of 1.1%.
The office of Pudsey, Horsforth and Aireborough MP, Stuart Andrew.
MPs were labelled ‘a disgrace’ by two shoppers in Horsforth. One resident stated they do nothing for their constituents and they were not worth anywhere near the money they are paid.
They received a pay rise earlier this year also broke that 1% cap taking their annual earning to £74,962. The latest pay rise will take that figure up to £76,011 – equating to more than an extra £1,000 going into MPs’ pockets each year.
However some residents took a different stance, one man claimed that the wages of MPs should depend on the quality of the work they do.
He said: “It depends how hard they work there are some good constituency MPs who deserve the money.”
Another woman explained that while the money MPs receive did seem excessive she believes it is an exceptionally tough job. She added: “I wouldn’t want to do it”.
Phillip Jones, a Horsforth resident, questioned whether the current crop of MPs were deserving of the salary increase.
Stuart Andrew, the MP for Pudsey, Horsforth and Aireborough, was approached for a comment on his payrise. He is yet to respond.