David Cameron told ministers not to say they would give pay rise to charity

The Prime Minister used a Cabinet meeting this week to tell ministers not to publicly say that they would donate their 10 per cent salary rise to charity.



David Cameron, the Prime Minister Photo: PAUL GROVER

David Cameron warned his Cabinet ministers not to publicly say that they would give a proposed pay rise to charity just hours before Cabinet split over the issue.

The Prime Minister earlier this week used a Cabinet meeting to set out the Government's position on a planned 10 per cent pay rise which will take MPs' salaries to £74,000.

Mr Cameron has said that he opposes the pay rise and officials have written to Ipsa, the independent pay body, making clear his objections.

However, Downing Street has made clear he will accept the £7,000 salary increase.

A number of Cabinet ministers, including Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, have said that they will give some or all of the money to charity.


Number 10 has repeatedly refused to match those commitments.

Mr Cameron previously described the £74,000 proposed pay packet, which comes at a time when the rest of the public sector is restricted to 1 per cent, as "unacceptable".

Sources told the Telegraph that Mr Cameron on Tuesday instructed his ministers to “fall into line” over the issue and not make any public statements about giving the money to charity.

There are fears amongst senior Tories that any instructions to refuse the pay rise could anger backbenchers, putting the Prime Minister’s slender Commons majority at risk.

“The Prime Minister told everyone to fall into line that although the pay rise is opposed, there were to be no public statements about giving the money to charity or things like that,” a senior source said. “Then Nicky went out the next day and said she was giving the money to charity.”

Chris Grayling, the Leader of the Commons, on Thursday wrote to Ipsa and said that pay rise is “not appropriate”.

"The Government opposed the suggestion that there should be a pay rise of this nature at that time, and the view of the Government remains that a pay rise of this nature at this time is not appropriate," the letter said.

"You will be aware that as part of the Government's commitment to cutting the cost of politics, the Prime Minister has announced that we have frozen ministerial pay for a further five years, saving an estimated £4 million.

"While the Government notes the welcome economic indicators since December 2013 ... we continue to believe that despite the welcome signs of progress, the continuing structural deficit shows the job is far from done.

"The Government has an ongoing commitment to responsible fiscal policy and returning the public finances to a sustainable position."