Danczuk under fire – but getting a pay rise

Simon Danczuk

Despite being suspended by the Labour party and being investigated for his expenses claims, Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk is about to get a £1,000 pay rise on top his existing £74,000 salary - just nine months ago MPs were given a huge £7,000 a year increase.

The rise, agreed by IPSA, equates to 1.3% when other public sector workers pay increases are capped at 1%. 

Mr Danczuk did not respond to a request for comment.

IPSA chairman Sir Ian Kennedy said: "In making the decision on MPs' pay we were very aware of the strongly held views of many members of the public and by some MPs themselves.

"We listened to those views and made an important change to the way in which pay will be adjusted annually. Instead of linking MPs’ pay to wages in the whole economy, it is now linked to public sector pay.

"Over the last Parliament, MPs’ pay increased by 2%, compared to 5% in the public sector and 10% in the whole economy.

"It was right that we made this one-off increase and have now formally linked MPs’ pay to public sector pay.”

Heywood and Middleton MP Liz McInnes, who will also get the pay rise along with other MPs, said: “I have not been informed by IPSA about this proposed pay increase of 1.3%, and it is surprising given that the Chancellor has capped public sector pay at 1% that the independent pay body has come up with a higher figure for MPs. It will be interesting to find out the reasons for this.”