A DARLINGTON woman has spoken about her disgust at MPs receiving a pay rise of over £2,000 per year while the cost of living crisis continues to hit the poorest in society.

The basic salary for MPs is set to increase by £2,200 after the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority decided to upgrade their annual earnings.

IPSA has announced that the annual adjustment to MPs’ basic pay for 2022–2023 will be 2.7 per cent.

This is the same as the average increase in pay for public sector employees last year.

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Chair of IPSA, Richard Lloyd, previously told The Echo that it was “right” that MPs are “paid fairly,” particularly with their work “dramatically” increasing in the past 12 months.

Louise Maddison first spoke to The Northern Echo last month about her struggle of having to choose between eating and heating and reliance on foodbanks to get by.

Ms Maddison also revealed that she had lost two stone between October and February due to the sheer rise in food prices.

This week she slammed the pay rise set to hit MPs as she said she, and thousands of others, had to deal with the stress of finding cash for bills, rent, food and other essentials.

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Speaking to The Northern Echo again this week, Ms Maddison said: "I have got Universal Credit now but I’ve got £70 now to last me the next two weeks.

“The energy bill wasn’t paid last month and I’m at my wit's end. To find out they’re (MPs) getting a new pay rise, I’m beyond comment. I’m speechless.”

“I’m angry and hurt and I want to come out fighting over this.

“As always, the poorest are suffering the most while the rich get richer.”

IPSA said the decision was “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.

As the pay rise was announced this week, Peter Gibson, MP for Darlington, said it was “right that MPs do not influence or control the process” of IPSA.

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