IPSA was setup to ensure that MPs couldn’t vote on their own salaries. Yet If MPs then decide not to accept the raise in salary awarded to their jobs, wouldn’t that be them yet again voting on their salaries? Wouldn’t this also be viewed as blatant electioneering, which would inevitably result in continual undercutting each other on how little they would accept from the taxpayer. Clearly only those with private incomes, or sponsorship from external bodies, could afford to do so. By extension, would it then be inevitable that candidates would campaign on how much money they were PAYING-IN, in order to get elected.
Contrary to popular opinion, paying MPs in line with say doctors, judges or head teachers, is the best way of ensuring that the House of Commons is filled with independent minded politicians, free from a reliance on either private wealth or sponsorship.
