Members of public to be selected for ‘honest conversation’ about MPs’ pay

Parliamentary watchdog will invite people to citizens’ forum to debate ‘what democracy is worth’

The thorny topic of MPs’ pay and funding will be debated by randomly selected members of the public at a new citizens’ forum, as parliament’s watchdog said it was launching an “open and honest conversation” about what democracy is worth.

Invitations are being sent out by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa), which this year set the basic annual salary for an MP from 1 April 2025 at £93,904. It is also responsible for approving MPs’ expenses, which it prefers to call business costs.