Public support MPs staff

16 October 2009

The public are 'supportive of retaining the current levels of MP staffing, or increasing them' according to leading polling companies.

The Demos & Ipsos MORI Convention on MPs' expenses looked at a range of allowances and expenses.

It found though the second homes allowance, and living allowances, were unpopular – support for staff of MPs was high.

One participant said 'I don't know what they need. But, if we are being realistic, I'd say it was important that they have the resources to do a good job.' Rather than expressing enthusiasm for cutting allowances across the board, many of the participants recognised the need for MPs to have sufficient resources to carry out their jobs effectively.

Dan Whittle, chair of the Unite Branch that Represents Staff of MPs said "These results are not a surprise. MPs staff are the first point of contact for constituents who are often in desperate need of help, we are public servants valued by people – but this is not reflected in our pay and conditions. 20% got no pay rise last year and some of us get less than the minimum wage."

The report also found that the vast majority of members of the public thought MPs should be allowed to employ family members if they fulfill duties laid out in standardised job descriptions.

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