All the IPSA Board members have spent most if not all their lives in the public sector. They have no idea what life is like outside the cosy Westminster world.
I know IPSA’s claim is that changes to the MP’s pension structure will fund this increase. They don’t mention that those of us in the real world have seen our pensions being attacked for the last 17 years, since Gordon Brown and Ed Balls taxed pension fund dividends and by doing so took £5bn a year out of these funds.
Final salary pension schemes have almost disappeared in the private sector. Since the recession, workers have seen their pay decrease in value in addition to their loss of pension rights. 11% increase? By rights MPs should have a decrease in pay as well as losing some of their gold plated pension conditions.
Both front benches, Labour and Conservative, are stuffed with millionaires who have also only ever earned money from the public purse. How on earth can it be right that MPs become millionaires on state salaries (and expenses)?
Ed Milliband and Ed Balls both profess to believe in redistribution of wealth – but not, it would appear, their own wealth – just ours. The 11% rise comes to £7,600 a year. The maximum State Pension, including Pension Credit, is only £7560.80.
There were an estimated 31,100 excess winter deaths in England and Wales last year, according to the Office for National Statistics. MPs should be ashamed of themselves if they don’t refuse this award and sack the entire IPSA Board.
This petition has over 320,000 signatures. Help it get to half a million.
Don’t forget to contact your MP as well. That is really important – let us know the result.
David Smith
Chair, NPC Devon by email
