In a proposal seemingly drawn from the Louis XVI school of public relations, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) will recommend today that MPs receive a pay rise of around 11 per cent (£8,604) to £75,000 after 2015. The increase will be tempered by the replacement of MPs’ final salary pension scheme with one based on a career average, cuts to evening meal allowances (a payment of up to £15 when the Commons sits beyond 7:30pm) and transport expenses, and lower “resttlement grants” or “golden goodbyes” (currently worth up to £33,000) for MPs who retire or lose their seat, but will still represent a net gain.
While few are likely to publicly defend the salary increase, at a time when public sector pay rises have been capped at 1 per cent until 2015-16 (following a two-year pay freeze), most MPs do believe they are underpaid. A survey of 100 MPs conducted by YouGov on IPSA’s behalf found that 69 per cent thought they were underpaid, with an average salary of £86,250 proposed. On average, Tory MPs proposed a salary of £96,740, the Lib Dems £78,361 and Labour £77,322. A fifth suggested that they should be paid £95,000 or more. But are they right to believe they get a raw deal? Here are some of the key metrics for answering that question.
Do they earn more than the average wage?
Yes, the median full-time salary is £26,500, so MPs’ current pay of £66,396 puts them comfortably in the top 5 per cent of earners.
Are they paid less than other major professions?
Yes, council chief executives (£134,528), GPs (£88,920), senior civil servants (£88,000), army colonels (£85,359), headteachers (£78,298) and police chief superintendents (£72,649) all earn significantly more.
Do they earn less now than in the past?
No, by historical standards, the current regime is generous. In 1979, MPs were paid £9,450, the equivalent of £40,490 in real terms. Their pay has since risen by more than 50 per cent, compared to an average increase of 37 per cent.
Are they poorly paid for the hours they work?
Here, MPs are on a stronger footing. A survey by The Hansard Society found that new MPs work an average of 69 hours a week, excluding travel, with constituency casework representing the largest share of their time (28 per cent), followed by constituency meetings and events (21 per cent) and debates in the Commons Chamber (21 per cent).
The poll also found that more than half (56 per cent) took a salary cut on entering parliament.
Are they paid less than parliamentarians in other countries?
In short, yes.
Japan £165,945
Australia £120,875
Italy £112,898
US £108,032
Canada £99,322
EU MEPs £75,114
Ireland £74,495
Germany £73,953
UK £66,396
France £53,186
Spain £27,130
Do the public think they should be paid more?
Unsurprisingly, they do not. A YouGov survey found that 17 per cent believe MPs should receive the proposed pay rise of around £10,000, with 68 per cent opposed.
Fifty per cent believe thay are paid too much already, 35 per cent that their pay is “about right” and 9 per cent that they are paid too little.
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