Labour veterans slam ‘pious, hair-shirted Tory newbies’ opposing a £3,000 pay rise for MPs as a war of the generations erupts in the Commons
A war of the generations has erupted in the Commons, with Labour veterans lashing out at 'virtue-signalling' young Tories opposing a £3,000 pay rise for MPs'.
The Left-wing 'old-timers' reacted furiously after more than 40 Tory newcomers – spearheaded by 27-year-old Dehenna Davison – sought to kill off a proposed four per cent pay hike.
One Labour MP hit out at 'pious, hair-shirted Tory newbies' who appeared not to have a problem pocketing a big pay rise when they entered the Commons last December on an £81,000 MPs' salary.
The Left-wing 'old-timers' reacted furiously after more than 40 Tory newcomers – spearheaded by 27-year-old Dehenna Davison – sought to kill off a proposed four per cent pay hike
That will be seen as a dig at the likes of Hyndburn MP Sara Britcliffe, who at 24 was the youngest Tory elected last year and who used to run a sandwich shop before she became an MP. But the attacks were rejected last night as MP Tom Hunt, 32, denied that he and fellow young Tories were virtue-signalling.
Mr Hunt, who gained Ipswich from Labour last year, said it was important MPs showed 'solidarity' with the plight of Britons struggling to cope with the impact of the pandemic.
The war of words broke out last week after Ms Davison, who took the former Labour seat of Bishop Auckland last year, led calls to block an increase in MPs' pay from £81,932 to more than £85,000 next year.
One Labour MP hit out at 'pious, hair-shirted Tory newbies', which will be seen as a dig at the likes of Hyndburn MP Sara Britcliffe, who at 24 was the youngest Tory elected last year and who used to run a sandwich shop before she became an MP. Pictured: MP Sara Britcliffe with her father Peter
Mr Hunt, who gained Ipswich from Labour last year, said it was important MPs showed 'solidarity' with the plight of Britons struggling to cope with the impact of the pandemic.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority , which now sets salaries in the wake of the MPs' expenses scandal, was reported to be looking at a potential 4.1 per cent rise. But in a pre-emptive strike, Ms Davison led over 50 Tory MPs – 45 of them first elected last year – in telling IPSA to ditch any such plans.
In a letter, she told IPSA interim chairman Richard Lloyd that with the Government asking for 'restraint elsewhere' in the economy, it was 'neither appropriate nor justifiable to be awarding MPs pay rises'.
Boris Johnson has already made clear his opposition to such a pay hike. And even though Labour has also signalled its aversion to the move, some of its longer-serving MPs were infuriated by the tone of the young Tories' intervention.
Last night, Ms Davison hit back, saying: 'With some public sector workers having their pay frozen, it's a no-brainer that we as MPs should have ours frozen.'
One Labour veteran privately told The Mail on Sunday: 'Of course, we don't think jacking up MPs' pay at such a time is appropriate. But some of these new Tories have to remember that in the wake of the MPs' expenses scandal, it was agreed that we would no longer decide our own pay rises. It's done independently and we have to respect that process.'
He added: 'Some of these newly-elected MPs are quite young and they may have had a big pay rise when they got in. But they have to realise that being an MP means for most of us maintaining two homes or accommodation – one in the constituency and one in London – and that can be expensive.' Another veteran MP said: 'I suspect some of these younger new MPs feel they can be all virtuous and self-denying as some of them may have just had a big pay rise when they became an MP.'
Last night, Ms Davison hit back, saying: 'With some public sector workers having their pay frozen, it's a no-brainer that we as MPs should have ours frozen.'
Fellow 'newbie' Tory MP Richard Holden, 35, savaged 'lazy, old-school' Labour MPs, saying: 'The only public sector pay-rise Labour MPs are really interested in is their own.'