(3). 1:The 2009 MPs’ expenses scandal cast a long shadow over British politics. 2:It also led to the creation of an Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) tasked with cleaning up the system. 3:Last year IPSA received new powers to set salaries and pensions. 4:Its initial consultation paper makes for intriguing reading. 5:Despite their public reputation for Caligulan excess, Westminster legislators are rather modestly remunerated by international standards. 6:And for the past century their pay has stagnated relative to that of their constituents. 7:IPSA suggests indexing it to national average earnings at a ratio of between 1.5 and 4. 8:Currently the ratio hovers between 2.5 and 2.9, so—controversially—a rise could be on the cards. 9:MPs may need the cash. It has been made harder to file creative expenses claims. 10:And politicians will probably be asked to contribute more to their extremely generous pension schemes in future.