John Mann calls for Maria Miller to forego lucrative severance pay

Labour MP John Mann has called for Maria Miller to reject her ministerial severance packet, following her resignation from the Cabinet this morning. Mann, who made the original complaint against Miller, said:

“In light of Maria Miller’s conduct, it would now be inappropriate for her to claim severance pay following her resignation. For her to accept a pay-off would be a further insult to the taxpayer.”

Miller is entitled to a pay-off, normally worth three months her ministerial salary – around £33,000 £17,000. Mann used the opportunity to reaffirm his support for scrapping the severance pay for ministers entirely, saying:

“In February I tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament calling for Ministers’ severance packages to be scrapped. It is a ridiculous and outdated practice to pay off Ministers when they return to the backbenches.”

“I am also repeating my call for Ministers’ severance pay to be scrapped, and hope that more MPs will support my resolution.”

Resigning for a scandal involving taxpayers’ money and then walking away with thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ wouldn’t look great…