UK MPs' salary hike proposal slammed. How much do they earn annually?

UK's Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has been in charge of independently determining lawmakers' salaries since 2011.

The move to increase MPs' salaries in the United Kingdom has been criticised as a bitter pill to swallow by the TaxPayers' Alliance campaign, which opposed the move when the country is enduring a cost-of-living crisis, The Sun reported.

Farmers drive their tractor in front of the Elizabeth Tower, commonly known by the name of the clock's bell "Big Ben", at the Palace of Westminster, home to the Houses of Parliament, during a farmer demonstration to protest against changes to inheritance tax rules for land ownership for farmers, in central London, on February 10, 2025. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP) (AFP)

In the UK, MPs do not determine their own salaries. The country's Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has been in charge of independently determining lawmakers' salaries since 2011. It aims to make fair decisions that balance the responsibilities of MPs with public expectations.

From April 2024, the authority had raised the annual salaries of British MPs from £86,584 to £91,346. The report said that the House of Commons had recommended a hike of more than £2,000, taking their annual salaries to £93,904.

The hike of 2.8 per cent, above the inflation rate in the UK, has been branded as “a bitter pill to swallow amid pensioners losing their winter fuel payments and farmers taking to the streets again to protest tax hikes,” by the TaxPayers' Alliance campaign.

Protesting farmers with their parked tractors during a demonstration against inheritance tax changes, in the Westminster district of London, UK, on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves extension of inheritance tax to UK farms may raise less than hoped in the longer term as families use tax planning to avoid the levy, according to an analysis by the Office for Budget Responsibility. (Bloomberg)

The proposal was also criticised by the activist group for elderly citizens, Silver Voices. Its chief Dennis Reed said, “The financial situation is apparently so bad that poor pensioners have to be deprived of their vital winter fuel payments, but not so bad that MPs are awarded an above inflation increase on their hefty salaries.”

“Winter heating for older people takes second place to maintaining the feather-bedded lifestyle of MPs,” The Sun quoted him saying.

The proposal is set to be approved next month after a short public consultation. The authority defended the proposal saying that it reflected the experience of the wider working public sector population. “I don't know how Labour MPs sleep in their beds at night,” it said.

Ipsa chairman Richard Lloyd said the authority recognises the vital role of MPs and the economic constraints. We aim to “make fair decisions on pay, both for MPs and the public”.