Since 2010, responsibility for deciding the salaries and expenses of Members of Parliament has rested with the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA). As IPSA is independent of Parliament and the Government it can make fair and impartial decisions about MPs' pay. 

To guide its decision-making, IPSA follows a set of outcomes and principles, designed to ensure MPs can carry out their parliamentary duties fully and effectively. Balanced against this, IPSA considers whether the total cost to the taxpayer is affordable and fair. IPSA has also published a report setting out how it decides MPs' pay, tackling common myths and misunderstandings, including that MPs do not decide their own pay and that the funding for running offices and employing staff does not go to MPs as a “top-up” to their salary. This issue comes up almost annually and last year IPSA explained all of this is a YouTube video.

Serving as an MP should not be reserved to those wealthy enough to fund it themselves. I welcome that IPSA is committed to supporting a Parliament that is reflective of our society, where people of all walks of life can decide to become MPs.

As regards what I do with my salary that is my own business.