It’s easy to think of knee jerk reactions to the news that MPs are set for yet another pay rise.

Members of Parliament have been granted a 3.1 per cent increase to take their basic salary from £79,468 to £81,932 for 2020/21.

The average salary in the UK is around £30,353. The starting salary for a police officer in the UK is between £19,971 and £23,124. Nurses start on £24,214.

It’s easy to paint MPs as pigs at a trough but there is strong reasoning behind how their pay is calculated.

Firstly, MPs should not be tempted by bribes or conflicted interests.

It’s easy to say that as public servants they should be whiter than white but unfortunately there’ll always be a few bad apples who get through the election process without being found out.

By paying a large salary, they are unlikely to have their votes bought.

Secondly, the job is demanding.

Thirdly, MPs’ pay is linked to average rises in the public sector, as determined by the Office for National Statistics.

The rise is automatic and not subject to a vote in the House of Commons, like it was in the past.

Finally, many MPs are incredibly hardworking.

Whether you agree with their politics or not, politicians such as Simon Fell and Tim Farron undertake a huge amount of work on behalf of their constituents, as did their predecessors.