The body who were given the task of deciding the rate of increase IPSA have based their findings on the salaries paid to people doing comparative jobs.
I am reminded of the adage, "two wrongs don't make a right", If one looks at both commerce, industry and the public sector there has been an accelerated gap opening between the ordinary worker and the upper end of the job market. Right across the board the executive class, including specialised groups have such as the medical profession have voted themselves substantial increases such that trying to evaluate the MP with a horse that has bolted is virtually impossible.
The job as an MP is like no other and whilst the work is judged by the voter at the ballot box, the MPs work is not judged by a peer group, such as a board of directors perhaps (although the directors are under pressure to vote the increase through because of this very peer pressure) and any regular evaluation is impossible.
One can not equate the work an MP does with people in industry or commerce, like the clergy it is more a calling. IPSA, in my opinion have failed to understand this and therefore they were working on a false premise.
Representatives of the public should be evaluated in the same way the Chancellor evaluates the general public. His message to "all of us" is that we must "tighten our belts and deflate our expectations in tune with the countries financial circumstances".
I can think of no finer epitaph for current and future Members of Parliament to have above their door.
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