Public want top-earning MPs' salaries slashed

Blairite apostle Mr Miliband earned over £400,000 in a year for making speeches at glitzy events and acting as a "consultant," while former chancellor Mr Darling earned over £170,000 from speeches, articles and books.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) said 54 per cent of people responding to its on-line survey believed that earnings from outside jobs should be taken into account when setting MPs pay.

Ipsa launched a consultation on changes to MPs' pay and pensions package.

It announced that MPs' salaries will remain frozen at £65,738 this year, with possible increases of 1 per cent in the following years.

A proposed pruning of the pension scheme included an interim 1.85 per cent increase in MPs' contributions.

Ipsa reported a public perception that MPs' outside earnings were large, although in practice the number recording significant amounts was "relatively small."

It said just 68 out of 650 MPs recorded more than £10,000 of external income, while 18 recorded over £100,000. The "vast majority" of 582 MPs recorded no outside income.