NEW city MP Imran Hussain has announced he will reject his payment for being a Bradford councillor – because it is wrong to “get two salaries”.

The Bradford East MP is entitled to receive an annual allowance of £13,463 for carrying out his duties as a councillor, in line with other elected city representatives.

However, he will now receive £67,060 as a backbench MP – a sum set to rise to £74,000 later this year, after a recommendation by an independent review body.

Conservatives in Bradford have questioned what Mr Hussain planned to do, pointing to the example of a new Tory MP in Colchester, who will hand his councillor’s allowance to charity.

But Mr Hussain told the T&A: “They are a bit late, because I have already told the chief executive I won’t be taking the allowance from the council.

MORE TOP STORIES

“This is a principled decision I have made, because I don’t think it is right for me to get two salaries for public office.”

On his future as a councillor, for Toller ward, Mr Hussain said there was no definite timeframe as yet for when he would be stepping down.

He said: “I will be standing down, but I have not yet decided when that will be.”

Councillor Simon Cooke, the Conservative leader on Bradford Council, said the Colchester MP handing his councillor’s allowance to charity had set “a very good example”.

Coun Cooke said: "Further to his recent election as the New Member of Parliament for Colchester, Will Quince MP has declared that he will not stand down as an elected member of Colchester Council until the next round of elections, in order to prevent the council incurring the costs of a by election.

"Will has committed to continue to fulfil his duties as a councillor until this time, but to donate his Councillor Allowances to the Mayor’s Charity."

And, on Mr Hussain, he added: “It will be interesting to see if he resigns his seat on council or chooses to carry on.”

Prior to his election, the Labour MP was receiving an allowance of £25,939 as a member of the council’s executive, but had already resigned as deputy leader and an executive member.

Meanwhile, all MPs are poised to enjoy a £7,000 pay rise – backdated to May 8 – after a controversial review by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa).

David Cameron denounced the increase as “simply unacceptable” when it was first proposed in December 2013, but is powerless to stop it.