Labor leader Keir Starmer said on Friday that Liz Truss should not receive the £115,000 (€131,675) annual allowance she was entitled to as Britain’s former prime minister. “I have to reject him. I think this is correct. He has served 44 days in office, he has no right to do that, he should reject it and not accept it,” Starmer told ITV on Friday.
Starmer therefore joined criticism from Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davies, who also said Truss should not receive a financial allocation. Speaking to LBC radio, Davey recalled that most people have to work for at least 35 years to qualify for the state pension in the UK, which is £185 (€211) a week.
“I think that working 45 days (while in power at the track) should not give you a pension that is much more than people get after working for a lifetime,” the politician added.
Earlier, Liberal Democrat cabinet spokeswoman Christine Jardine said on Thursday that Liz Truss “will always be known as the prime minister who lasted 50 days”. “He can’t be given access to the same £115,000 life fund as his predecessors because they all served for more than two years,” he added.
Truss took over as prime minister on September 6 after an internal process that lasted several weeks, but he announced his resignation on Thursday amid chaos surrounding his administration over his controversial economic program, which has sent markets into turmoil. , which forced him to change almost all measures.
The Tori You can claim an award of up to £115,000 a year under Public Service Allowance (PDCA, its abbreviation in English), which was introduced after the resignation of Margaret Thatcher by then Cabinet Minister Robin Butler. The government’s guidelines said the PDCA was introduced “to help former prime ministers who are still active in public life”.
Former Prime Ministers are entitled to claim necessary official and secretarial expenses arising from their special position in public life. as reported guardianIn 2020-21, John Major and Tony Blair called for the maximum allocation; Gordon Brown, £114,712 (€131,379); David Cameron, £113,423 (€1,229,882) and Theresa May, £57,832 (€66,224).
Prime ministers can also receive severance pay when they leave office, consisting of a lump sum payment of 25% of their annual salary, around £19,000 (€21,700).
“grotesque”
Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, described it as “grotesque” that the prime minister could still receive £115,000. “At a time when one in five public servants turn to food banks and 35% miss meals because they don’t have food, it is grotesque that Liz Truss can walk away from what is effectively a £115,000 bonus. ”
Joe Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, also joined the call for the Trust to step down: “Millions of public sector workers, including those who make a difference in education, are mired in a devastating crisis. Living with low wages deprives thousands of people of food and restricts energy consumption. They will be horrified to see the soon-to-be former prime minister rewarded for such a catastrophic failure. I have to do the right thing and hand over the money.”
Stephen Littlewood, deputy general secretary of the FDA Union, which represents senior officials, called the hypocrisy “astounding”. “This year the government has proposed a real-terms pay cut and has once again attempted to attack the timing of the dismissals of public servants who keep this country going as we go from one prime minister to another. “After all, it’s unbelievable that the Prime Minister would get £115,000 a year for just six weeks in the job,” Littlewood said.
Source: El Diario
