A poll commissioned by PLMR has found that only 6% of Britons believe that MPs are not paid enough – as the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) took the decision last week to increase MPs pay by 10%.
The survey was commissioned in response to the controversial announcement by IPSA, which will see MPs wages increase from £67,000 to £74,000 a year.
The survey also showed that seven in ten Britons (71%) think that MPs are already paid too much.
Many MPs have been quick to publicly state that they will reject the pay-rise, including Education Secretary Nicky Morgan and Labour leadership hopefuls Yvette Cooper, Andy Burnham and Liz Kendall.
Not all MPs appear to be as in sync with the public’s position on the issue however, as Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood sparked outrage from voters this week by claiming that his £100,000-a-year salary forced him to “watch the pennies”.
The survey, which polled public perceptions of pay in various professions, found that not all high earners were perceived as earning too much, with 48% of respondents believing that doctors are paid about the right amount. Full results table below.
Kevin Craig, Managing Director of PLMR, said:
“As the data shows, the IPSA decision is totally out of step with public thinking.”
“It will be interesting to see which MPs refuse the rise. Some have already pledged to donate the extra money to charity, or return it to their constituency communities.”
“On the other hand, the Prime Minister has accepted the pay-rise, despite claiming to disagree with IPSA’s decision.”
Full Results:
- Seven in ten Britons (71%) think that MPs are paid too much, compared to a quarter who think they are paid about the right amount (23%) or 6% who say they are not paid enough.
- Of the professions tested, only Premier League footballers have a higher proportion of the public saying they are paid too much (93%).
- Not all high earners are thought to be overpaid. Half of Britons (48%) think doctors are paid about the right amount, and a further quarter think they are not paid enough (28%).
- Nurses are the professionals most likely to be seen as underpaid – four fifths (79%) say they are not paid enough.
Q. Generally speaking do you think each of the following get paid too much, not enough, or about the right amount?
| Too much | About the right amount | Not enough | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League footballers | 93% | 5% | 2% |
| MPs | 71% | 23% | 6% |
| Judges | 51% | 44% | 4% |
| Civil servants | 35% | 43% | 21% |
| Train drivers | 26% | 54% | 20% |
| Doctors | 24% | 48% | 28% |
| Teachers | 9% | 44% | 48% |
| Policemen | 7% | 43% | 51% |
| Nurses | 2% | 19% | 79% |
Base: GB adults (n=2,050).
ENDS
For further information, please contact Anokhi Madhavji on 07415 701567
Notes to Editors:
1. ComRes interviewed 2,050 British adults online between 17th and 19th July 2015. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all GB adults aged 18+. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.
2. PLMR (Political Lobbying and Media Relations) is an award winning British public affairs and PR agency. Since day one, it has given 5% of net profits to charitable causes. PLMR is headquartered in Westminster, London.
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