Lib Dems submit motion to dock Truss and Kwarteng's pay

EMBARGO: Immediate release 

New censure motion proposes halving the pay of the Prime Minister and Chancellor after they caused economic turmoil 

The Liberal Democrats will submit a censure motion to Parliament next week calling for Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng to have their pay docked following their disastrous budget. 

Last week’s budget sent mortgage rates spiralling and forced the Bank of England to spend £65 billion to ease market turmoil. 

The Liberal Democrat motion calls for the halving of the Prime Minister’s and Chancellor’s ministerial salaries due to this “gross mismanagement of the public finances." The Prime Minister’s Government salary equated to almost £80,000, resulting in a £40,000 pay cut if the motion is passed by the House of Commons. As a Cabinet Minister, the Chancellor earns £67,500, which would result in a £33,750 pay cut. 

Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said: 

“It is a kick in the teeth to struggling homeowners that Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng are being rewarded with lucrative salaries after sending mortgage bills spiralling. In any other workplace, they would have been dismissed for gross incompetence.

“Given the billions of pounds worth of public money wasted on this fiasco, taxpayers shouldn’t be expected to fund their salaries in full. Frankly this out of touch government has cost hard-pressed Brits more than enough already.

“The Conservatives delivered the worst budget in British history by announcing unfunded tax cuts for the richest companies in the middle of a cost of living crisis. Truss and Kwarteng gambled the British economy on the backs of innocent families and pensioners.

“The Conservative party must never again be trusted with the economy.” 

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

Motion of censure due to be submitted by Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine upon Parliament’s return next week: 

“That this House censures the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Prime Minister, for their handling of the UK's public finances, which has dramatically increased households’ mortgage costs and threatened pension funds; and believes the Government should halve the Chancellor’s additional Ministerial salary, and halve the Prime Minister’s additional Prime Minister’s salary this year, as a result of this gross mismanagement of the public finances."

House of Commons Library report on Ministerial salaries 

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9514/