Chris White to Donate 10 percent Pay Rise to Leamington Charity

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Warwick and Leamington Chris White has decided that he will donate the entirety of his 10 percent pay rise to the ‘Love Leamington Charitable Fund’.

The fund was created this year by the Conservative MP in association with the Leamington Courier as a way of funding individual charitable projects across the town from a central point. It is the first charity to be solely dedicated to the town of Leamington.

This decision follows the implementation of a compulsory pay rise for MPs recommended by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) in December 2013 following two public consultations. This will see MP’s pay rise from £67,060 to £74,000 a year in a one off adjustment.

The pay rise formed only part of the IPSA recommendation, which set out its goals as ‘putting an end to the situation whereby MPs decide their own pay and pension arrangements’.

Following the change in salary, IPSA will monitor members pay so it remains in line with constituent’s wages.

IPSA argue that this plan of action will ‘get rid of generous and out-of-date benefits’ and align MP pensions with others in the public sector.

But many MPs such as Chris White have decided not to take the pay rise and would prefer to ‘put the money to good use’ seeing as the salary inflation is not optional.

Criticism of the IPSA recommendation has been far reaching with the economic climate being cited by many MPs as a reason for the Parliamentary watchdog to reconsider. This is a view echoed by first-year Historian and Warwick Labour member Jacob Badcock. When quizzed on whether he felt IPSA were right to award a pay rise he stated: ‘I don’t think it is right because it’s an insult to public sector workers whose wages have been capped at 1 percent.’

He went on to say: ‘MPs on the whole don’t appear to agree with the rise and whilst I appreciate it has been decided by an independent panel, common sense should have prevailed.’

Another first-year Historian and Warwick Conservative Association member Lewis Hutchinson said: ‘You can’t blame MPs for this series of events.’

’Those like Chris White that have done the honourable thing and shown a commitment to their local community and their constituents should be congratulated for making the best out of the situation awarded to them by IPSA.

‘The watchdog failed to take in to account public opinion and I don’t think MPs should have to pay for that.’

The highest profile MP to speak in favour of the pay rise is the Prime Minister, David Cameron. He argued that the 10 percent increase was the ‘rate for the job’.

Although he argues overall it was not the ‘right decision’, the Prime Minister believes the independent process must be observed and respected whilst adding that what MPs choose to do with the extra money is a ‘private matter’.

Mr Badcock, however, disagrees with David Cameron on this point, suggesting that ‘due to the controversial nature of the issue, people have been left sour and so deserve to know whether their MP will keep the money or donate to another cause.’