Watchdog recommends MPs pay rises to £74,000
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has published its recommendations to increase MPs pay to £74,000 in 2015.
MPs' pay package 'cannot be be unpicked'
Sir Ian Kennedy, chair of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) has defended his controversial plans to give MPs a pay rise of 11%.
Sir Ian insisted that the package of pay reforms but together by his body could not be selected and deselected by popularity. He said:
"This is a package, a package of reforms. You cannot unpick it. You can't say that bit we like and that bit we do not."
He said research done by Ipsa indicated that the overall package had "significant" support from the public.
"Part of the package is that part they don't like, but the package as a whole has significant support from the public.
"The public is far more sophisticated than a lot of people think they are."
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MPs' pay rise will go ahead despite criticism
The authority behind plans to give MPs an 11% pay rise has insisted the planned increase will go ahead despite criticism of the proposal.
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The public deserves a mature debate on MPs' pay rises
Today's proposed pay rises MPs has been reflected in the media as an outrage, when what is outrageous is the tone of debate.