MPs Pay: Voters To Be Asked How Much Politicians Should Earn

How Much Are They Worth? Voters To Get Say On MPs Pay

Voters are to be asked how much MPs should be paid as part of a review into their pay and pensions.

In the past the salary of politicians was set by MPs themselves, however following the parliamentary expenses scandal of 2009 it was decided it should be taken out of their hands.

The power now rests with the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) which also oversees the parliamentary expenses regime,

In a statement published on its website on Wednesday, Ipsa said it was aware of the "strong and often polar views that people have" on the issue.

"We have already heard opinions ranging from: 'MPs should receive no salary – it is a privilege to do the job', to 'MPs should earn an annual wage of £250,000 to reflect the importance of their role'.

An MP’s salary is currently £65,738 and Ipsa announced recently that this would be frozen for 2012/13.

Sir Ian Kennedy, the chair of Ipsa, said setting the pay and pensions of politicians was his "next big challenge".

"We can’t do this on our own, nor should we. Nor can we do it just by listening to political insiders in the Westminster Village. We need to get as many views as possible," he said.

"Of course, the views must be informed rather than a reaction to recent events. We are talking about something very important here: part of the fabric which makes up our democratic heritage.

"How we remunerate MPs is a statement about the place they have in our society. So, we have to move carefully and thoughtfully."

Ipsa wants to hear your view on how much MPs are paid, and so do we. Let us know in the poll and in the comments box below.

Close

What's Hot