David Mundell tightlipped over pay increase plans

SCOTTISH secretary David Mundell has refused to say what he’s doing with his £7,000 pay hike.

David Mundell is the only politician yet to disclose what he is doing with his pay increase. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

He insists it is a “private matter” even though all 58 other Scottish MPs have gone on the record and said what they aredoing with the cash.

All but one said they had given their 10 per cent increase to charities and good causes.

Alistair Carmichael said he was putting the money towards office costs, meaning he will claim less in expenses.

Only Mr Mundell, 53, Tory member for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, was vague on what had happened to the extra cash, adding he intends to give “more to charity”, but refused to elaborate.

Almost all the SNP members at Westminster simply said they’d donate the money to local charities and good causes.

Labour’s sole remaining MP Ian Murray said: “I always have and will continue to give a substantial amount to charities, local events and organisations.”

However a spokesman for Scottish Secretary David Mr Mundell said: “This pay rise was decided by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and it is for individual MPs to decide what to do with it.

“Like many people across the UK, Mr Mundell chooses to donate to charitable causes from his salary. He intends to do more of that but regards it as a private matter.”

IPSA, the body set up in the wake of the expenses scandal, to take decisions about their own pay out of MPs’ hands, sanctioned the pay rise in July and backdated it to election day on May 8.

The decision came just days after Chancellor George Osborne set a cap of 1 per cent on other public sector workers’ pay in his summer budget.