MP puts pay rise question to public (From This is Hampshire)

MP puts pay rise question to public

3:15pm Friday 12th March 2010 in

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ROMSEY’S MP is refusing to take a pay hike.

Sandra Gidley has opted instead to hold an online poll on what she should do with the £971 increase in her £64,766 salary.

MPs’ salaries are due to go up in April and Mrs Gidley is offering to donate the extra cash to charity if voters agree.

Mrs Gidley said: “I don’t think it is right for MPs to be receiving pay rises when other public sector workers are having wages frozen.

“That’s why, from April 1, I promise not to take a penny of the increase myself. Instead, I want local people to let me know what they think I should do with the extra money. I could simply reject it, or through the ‘give as you earn scheme’, pass it on to charity, as many are struggling in what are still troubled economic times.”

The poll is the MP’swebsite sandra gidley.org.

Romsey’s Conservative parliamentary candidate, Caroline Nokes, said she wouldn’t accept the pay rise, either.

“What I think is very interesting, is that Mrs Gidley increased her expenses claim by 13 per cent last year (£20,000) and is now claiming £15,000 per month from the taxpayer to fund her activities. For the third year running she is Hampshire’s most expensive MP and turning down this pay rise fades into insignificance in comparison to her expenses which have risen year on year, out of all proportion to those of nearby MPs,” remarked Mrs Nokes pointing out that if she becomes Romsey’s MP at the general election she will follow the example of Desmond Swayne, MP for New Forest West, who claims half the amount Mrs Gidley does.

“At a time when most organisations and companies are having to tighten their belts, both Desmond Swayne and Julian Lewis reduced the amount they claim in expenses,” said Mrs Nokes adding the her Test Valley Borough Council allowance will go down this year because it is inflation linked, which she believes is quite right.