IPSA’s olive branch to angry MPs

The foreword to IPSA’s latest consultation document is certainly more conciliatory than combative. “The last eight months have been demanding, both for MPs and their staff, and for IPSA,” it starts – in subtle reference to the mutual frustrations that have overtaken the expenses operation to date – before asking whether the current system can be made more “fair and workable”. And that tone carries across into the main body of the text. Although IPSA insist that nothing has been decided yet, they do at least moot the possibility of raising certain allowances back up again.

As James Kirkup writes on his Telegraph blog, this document is, in some respects, IPSA’s last chance. Not only has the expenses body come under sustained attack from MPs on all sides – with another aerial bombardment today – but David Cameron has also issued it with a series of severely-worded ultimatums. IPSA is, then, laying on the charm for its own survival.