Andy Burnham has announced that he won’t accept the 10% pay rise MPs are expected to receive.
He has said he would either turn down or give away the extra £6,700 the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) has recommended that MPs receive.
Burnham made this announcement on Twitter:
Burnham is one of four people standing to be Labour’s next leader. This announcement will undoubtedly put pressure on the three others standing – Yvette Cooper, Mary Creagh and Liz Kendall – to do the same.
We’ll keep you updated on announcements from other candidates.
UPDATE: Burnham is not alone in this stance. Liz Kendall has said she’ll refuse the money, but if she’s unable to do this she will give it to a charity in her constituency if. Kendall has long been an opponent of MPs receiving a pay rise, back in 2013 she said she wouldn’t take a pay rise:
“I’ve said all along that when my constituents face a cost of living crisis, and many other public sector workers are having to accept a pay freeze, it would be completely wrong for IPSA to decide to increase MPs pay by 11 per cent.
“I oppose it, I’ll try and change it, and if IPSA refuses, I won’t take it.”
Meanwhile, Yvette Cooper has also said she’ll reject this pay rise if it’s offered to her, and that she disagrees with it in principle.
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