Boris Johnson will receive £2,212 pay rise in April as cost of living crisis hits

14 March 2022, 21:46

Boris Johnson will receive the £2,212 pay rise
Boris Johnson will receive the £2,212 pay rise. Picture: Alamy

By Megan Hinton

Boris Johnson will receive the £2,212 pay rise given to all MPs in April, Downing Street has confirmed despite previously urging 'restraint' in the public sector.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

The 2.7% increase in MPs' pay will come in next month as voters across the country face a cost of living squeeze, with rising energy bills and a hike in National Insurance.

Downing Street said Mr Johnson has no way of refusing the automatic increase in his pay as MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip and will not cut the amount he gets for his job as Prime Minister to counteract the rise.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) said the annual adjustment to MPs' basic pay for the year 2022/23 will be 2.7% - the same as the average increase in pay for public sector employees last year.

MPs' pay will rise from £81,932 to £84,144 from April 1 - an increase of £2,212 per year.

On top of that, Mr Johnson gets £75,440 a year as Prime Minister, which will take his total pay in 2022/23 to £159,584.

It comes after the Bank of England boss told people not to ask for a pay rise despite the crisis, telling them it would worsen inflation.

But Richard Lloyd, Ipsa's chair, said it was "right" that MPs are "paid fairly", particularly with their work "dramatically" increasing in the past 12 months.

Read more: Putin's 'lying to you': Editor storms Russian state TV broadcast in anti-war protest

Read more: Brits to bask in mini-heatwave as UK set to be hotter than Greece

'MPs get a pay rise, we get a pay cut.'

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said the pay rise for MPs is "automatic, in effect" and "he is not able to turn down that pay rise, which is independently judged by Ipsa".

The spokesman declined to say whether Mr Johnson will donate the increase to charity.

"I'm not going to get into the charitable donations the Prime Minister makes," the spokesman said.

Asked if he would cut his ministerial salary by £2,200, the spokesman said: "The ministerial element of the Prime Minister's salary has been frozen for some time now and will remain so."

When Ipsa announced its decision on March 1, the body's chairman Richard Lloyd said it is "right" that MPs are "paid fairly", particularly with their work "dramatically" increasing in the past 12 months.

Ipsa said the decision is "in line" with its previous ruling in 2015 to adjust MPs' pay at the same rate as changes in public sector earnings published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Charlotte Peet has gone missing in Brazil.

Father of Brit journalist missing in Brazil breaks silence as he reveals moment daughter's 'trail went cold'

Avoriaz is a French mountain resort

Brit skier, 23, found dead beneath French Alps cliff after 'plunging 260ft on return from night out'

Austrian police arrest teenager over 'attack at railway station'

Isis supporting boy, 14, 'who planned attack at railway station' held by Austrian police

Janice Nix, 66, was charged with manslaughter in connection with death of five-year-old Andrea Bernard in 1978

Woman, 66, appears in court charged with manslaughter of five-year-old who died after scalding bath

Davi Nunes Moreira, of Planalto, Brazil, passed away seven days after injecting a solution made from a crushed butterfly into his leg.

Boy who injected himself with crushed butterfly for 'online challenge' suffered week of agonising symptoms before death

Jack Bennett pleaded guilty to sending malicious communications to the mayor of London and the Birmingham Yardley MP

Man jailed for sending malicious messages to Sir Sadiq Khan and Jess Phillips was 'radicalised online,' Mayor tells LBC

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder over the stabbing of a 20-year-old man in Hackney.

Two men arrested on suspicion of murder after 20-year-old dies in east London stabbing

Near-Earth asteroid, artwork

NASA scientist increase chance of 'city killer' asteroid 'the size of Big Ben' striking earth

The scene in Godstone after a sinkhole appeared on Monday night. The large sinkhole has forced the closure of the high street in the Surrey village.

Major incident declared after second sinkhole opens up on residential Surrey street

Exclusive
Sadiq Khan

'It's bonkers': Sadiq Khan hits out at Trump for 'rewarding' Putin while excluding Ukraine from peace talks

The mother of Lindsay Foreman, left, who is being detained in Iran for alleged espionage, says the charges are made up.

Mother of Brit detained in Iran during round-the-world motorbike trip says espionage charges are 'made up'

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Trump is living in a ‘disinformation space’, says Zelenskyy as he hits back at US for ‘helping’ Putin 'come out of isolation'

Examples of 'zombie knives' at a secure police location in Birmingham. Underage teenagers buying knives online remains 'a really concerning picture' for police, with illegal dealers selling weapons via social media.

Labour announces crackdown on online knife sellers as weapons 'easier for young people to buy than paracetamol'

Ukraine 'could partner with Europe' if sidelined from negotiations - as Ben Wallace brands Trump remarks 'pure Disney'

Ukraine 'could partner with Europe' if sidelined from negotiations - as Ben Wallace brands Trump remarks 'pure Disney'

Raducanu was seen wiping away her tears

Tearful Emma Raducanu hides behind umpire after being confronted by 'fixated man' who is then dragged away

Pope Francis

Pope Francis fears he 'may not survive' as Pontif battles 'complex' double pneumonia