MPs' pay watchdog to give public more of a say on how politicians are funded

"The MPs' pay watchdog is planning to give the public more input into how politicians are funded as it considers changes to the system, its new chief executive has said. Karen Walker, who took over as head of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority last month, said Ipsa had recently brought in a big change in the way politicians were allowed to claim funding for running their offices, employing staff, living accommodation, travel and other costs."

"She told the Guardian it was now a more flexible and less mechanistic system based upon principles of value for money, parliamentary purpose, accountability and integrity that gave MPs more decision-making over what they claimed. But Walker said there was still room for more potential changes in how MPs were funded after Ipsa consulted a citizens' forum of 23 members of the public to find out what they thought about the issue."

"She said one of the areas Ipsa was considering changes was whether MPs could claim different funding costs based on the needs of their constituency with some parliamentarians requiring higher levels of travel expenditure or more staff to help with elevated levels of constituency casework. Walker also said Ipsa was working towards increasing public understanding about the way MPs were funded, with pay currently set at 93,904 a year, and the annual maximum for costs associated with their works at 250,000."

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has changed MPs' claims rules to a more flexible, principles-based system emphasizing value for money, parliamentary purpose, accountability and integrity, and giving MPs more discretion over claims. Ipsa consulted a 23-member citizens' forum which concluded that MPs' pay is generally fair but must remain grounded in wider social and economic realities. Ipsa plans to base pay-setting on the forum's main recommendations and to increase public understanding of funding arrangements. Ipsa is considering constituency-adjusted funding to reflect differing travel needs and higher casework, and maintains current pay at 93,904 with an annual costs cap of 250,000.

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