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Ministers told: Forget any pay rise

18/06/2008

Government ministers have been told they will not receive a pay rise this year.

They were informed by Gordon Brown, who with the backing of his cabinet has called for the pay freeze, following a review of MPs' pay and pensions.

Sir John Baker conducted the assessment and warned if MPs rejected small pay increases "their pay falls further and further behind, necessitating large catch-ups which can then seem even more contentious".

He recommended pay be independently reviewed, a fair mechanism to determine regular increases be established and modest incremental increases introduced.

Sir John noted: "The evidence shows that MPs are paid about ten per cent less than the average for similarly weighted public sector jobs."

The 2008 senior salaries review body has reported on pay levels within the civil service. It observed the current system of paying lawyers, accountants and diplomats is "seen increasingly to lack credibility", the senior public servants' union, the FDA, has said.

 

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