One of Milton Keynes' two MPs refuses £3,300 pay rise, saying 'everyone has sacrificed so much this year'

Ben Everitt, the Conservative MP for Milton Keynes North, said: "When so many of our constituents are facing uncertainty, it is only right that we help shoulder the burden."

He was among 50 MPs nationally who signed wrote to The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), which) sets the pay of MPs.

IPSA is currently consulting on a 4.1 per cent pay increase, whcih would add £3,300 to the average MPs' salary of £79,468 a year.

MK's other Tory MP, Iain Stewart, who represents Milton Keynes South constituency, was not one of the MPs who signed the letter.

Ben said: “The whole country has sacrificed so much this year throughout the coronavirus pandemic and with so many people are living with uncertainty in their lives."

He added: “We all need to come together and it would be wrong for us as MPs to receive a pay rise so I hope IPSA will agree to scrap the proposed increase.”

Ben earns the standard MP salary, while Iain Stewart is entitled to an extra £20,000 plus due to his role as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Scotland Office.

He and Ben also claim expenses to cover the costs of running an office, employing staff, having somewhere to live in London or their constituency, and travelling between Parliament and their constituency.

Between June 1 2019 and May 31 2020 Iain claimed a total of £43,802.98 in expenses. Some £13,596 was for hotel accommodation, mainly in London hotels, while £8,636 came under travel claims.

Ben, over the same 12 month period, claimed £28,675.37. His accommodation claims totaled £14,000 while his travel claims came to £2,674.