Almost 60 per cent of MPs have seen faster wage growth than their constituents in recent years, a New Statesman analysis has found.
Since 2010, MPs’ pay has grown by 25 per cent in nominal terms, faster than median wages in England, Scotland or Wales. The result has been a widening income gap between the UK’s parliamentarians and those they represent.
At least 382 MPs have seen their wages grow faster than those of their constituents, including 220 Conservatives and 135 from Labour. Data was unavailable for 63 constituencies.
Boris Johnson’s constituents in Uxbridge and South Ruislip have seen their pay fall by 3.6 per cent in nominal terms since the Conservatives entered office in 2010, with median wages falling from £30,162 to £29,092.
Other senior cabinet ministers who have enjoyed more rapid wage growth than their constituents include Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Home Secretary Priti Patel.
Labour leader Keir Starmer’s constituents in Holborn and St Pancras have seen their wages grow by just 7 per cent in nominal terms since 2010.
Michael Gove, who is in charge of implementing the government’s “levelling-up” agenda, has seen his pay increase 40 per cent faster than his constituents. Constituents of Thérèse Coffey, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, have seen the largest wage reduction of any cabinet minister. Wages in her constituency of Suffolk Coastal have fallen by 7 per cent since 2010, not accounting for inflation.
Since 2010, MPs’ pay has been regulated by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.
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