MPs, ministers and their political staff should be paid according to civil service pay scales, should have any expenses approved only in line with established civil service guidelines and must act according to the Nolan Committee on Standards of Public Life. Principles that apply to all public bodies.

People believe in democracy and expect their elected representatives to demonstrate its ideals. Unfortunately politicians are not now generally seen as sufficiently experienced or competent for the offices which they hold, as operating in a trustworthy manner or as being in the job for the benefit of their constituents rather than for themselves. Most of those now seeking to become MPs, and most of the front benches of the three main political parties, are people who have only been in the ‘Westminster Village’ since leaving college, working as research analysts, marketing advisers, journalists or in other similar capacities.Even those MPs who have previously worked outside the immediate Westminster Village have tended to choose areas such as public relations rather than actually leading or managing in a charitable, commercial or public organisation. As a result such people tend to see the world mainly through the lens of short term media acceptance rather than longer term strategies and implementation.People who would find it difficult to get a responsible job running the whole or part of any other significant organisation are suddenly given legitimacy by being selected by a political party and becoming MPs. A fair proportion of these, typically at least 40%, will subsequently become ministers. It is clear that there would be no likelihood of most of these people gaining an equivalent position in any other walk of life and it is therefore the endorsement of the political party label which gives them the opportunity for their apparent success in gaining a ministerial appointment.Although there are many MPs who do not misuse their position, in the last forty years there have been a number of government scandals which have eroded people’s trust in MPs. As a result of the political scandals during his Government, John Major set up the Nolan Committee on Standards in Public Life.

Unfortunately the establishment of the Nolan Committee has not substantially increased public confidence. Surveys in 2004 showed only 16% of voters felt that standards in public life had improved, that only 17% of the public thought that MPs showed a “high moral code” and that only 27% trusted them generally.

A mood of discontent about the political system not only permeates the population in total but also exists amongst backbench MPs themselves. They wonder if their role is really a worthwhile one in the light of what they can actually achieve with the very little real power that they have while being constantly criticised over their behaviour and expenses.

An MP currently has an annual salary of £63,291. In addition London MPs also receive a London Weighting Allowance of £7,500 which was increased by 157% from the previous figure of £2,916 in a Commons vote on the 3rd July 2008.

Ministers receive a separate salary in addition to the salary of £63,291 received by them as MPs. The additional rate for the four key levels of minister is:

However ministers have to be fully committed to their official duties and therefore have less time for their constituencies. They are also of course prohibited from actively scrutinising or criticising Government policy in Parliament. This used to be recognised by the Top Salaries Review Body with ministers only receiving two thirds of the MPs salary in addition to their ministerial salary. This practice has however been discontinued and ministers now receive both full salaries.

The issue of expenses is a particularly sensitive one for many voters. It has become clear that MPs have become used to using taxpayers money, even within the rules, in a way which would never be sanctioned in any other charitable, commercial or public organisation. This includes housing expenses when other housing is available, relatively excessive personal purchases (the John Lewis list) and the employment of relatives without any proper independent selection procedure or appraisal.

In addition to their £63,291 salary, Members can claim the following annual allowances:

The House of Commons Library provides the following further information about MPs’ traveling, termination and pension expenses:

• Members are currently provided with corporate travel cards that may be used to purchase travel tickets, for journeys by rail, sea or air on Parliamentary business. These cover journeys within the triangle of home, constituency and Westminster. Members may also use parking spaces, for which no charge is made, in the Parliamentary car park. Journeys may also be made by the spouse, and children under the age of 18, of a Member between London and the constituency and/or London and home by rail, air or sea. In addition MPs have a car mileage allowance of 40p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25p thereafter, a motorcycle allowance of 24p per mile and a bicycle allowance of 20p per mile, all available in the same triangle as the other travel allowances. Costs of journeys outside this triangle, on Parliamentary business, may also be reimbursed if the Member notifies the Operations Directorate at least three days in advance – the three day rule may be waived in exceptional circumstances.
• Members are also reimbursed for the cost of traveling on Parliamentary duties between the United Kingdom and any European Union institution in Brussels, Luxembourg or Strasbourg or the national Parliament of a member of the Council of Europe or the European Union or of any candidate member of the EU. The scheme allows the aggregate of the cost of a return business class airfare from a London airport to one of the designated destinations and twice the corresponding civil service class A standard subsistence rate in operation.
• A “Resettlement Grant” is paid to assist with the costs of adjusting to “non-Parliamentary life” to any person who ceases to be an MP at a General Election, based on age and length of service, and varies between 50% and 100% of the annual salary payable to an MP at the time of the Dissolution.
• A “Winding-Up Allowance and Resettlement Grant” of up to one third of the annual Staffing Allowance and Incidental Expenses Allowance is paid for the reimbursement of the cost of any work on Parliamentary business undertaken on behalf of a defeated or retiring Member after the date of cessation of Membership.
• MPs get a pension accruing at 1/40th for every year of service (so after 20 years, for instance, they get half their salary as an inflation-proofed pension) for which they pay 10% of salary and the Government pays 26.8%. This compares with a 1/60th civil service scheme.

In July 2008, the House of Commons voted against proposals to limit and regularise their expense claims.

It is essential that MPs are seen as operating under the same constraints as apply to their electorate in terms of their salaries and expenses, especially as public money is involved. The civil service has a clear policy on salaries and expenses.

The Jury Team Governance Proposals therefore include that all MPs should be subject to the same regime as senior civil servants.

An independent commission would be established to decide which grade of civil servant is currently equivalent to an MP and salaries and expenses would then be increased for MPs in line with the average for all employees in the country (not in line with civil service pay as MPs have direct control of this).