Thank you for contacting me about MPs’ pay.
Since 2010, responsibility for deciding the salaries and expenses of Members of Parliament has rested with the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA). IPSA is an independent body, established by statute. Members of Parliament no longer set either the level of Parliamentary salaries or the rules governing expenses.
IPSA’s usual approach links MPs’ pay to an official statistic on public sector pay that is first published every year in mid-December. By doing this, IPSA can ensure that MPs are fairly remunerated for their work.
IPSA has confirmed that MPs’ basic pay for 2023/24 will increase by 2.9 per cent. This is the same as the average increase in pay for public sector employees last year. IPSA does a lot of research to ensure that any pay increases are affordable and safeguard public money while at the same time recognising the complexity and responsibility of the role.
The Chair of IPSA, Richard Lloyd, has said that the Authority has "once again considered very carefully the extremely difficult economic circumstances, the government’s evolving approach to public sector pay in the light of forecasted rates of inflation, and the principle that MPs’ pay should be reflective of their responsibility in our democracy."
I agree with IPSA that "serving as an MP should not be the preserve of those wealthy enough to fund it themselves. It is important for our democracy that people from any background should see representing their communities in Parliament as a possibility.”
Any changes in MPs’ pay will be decided by and directly communicated by IPSA.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.