Parliament is hiring a new “complaints manager” to handle gripes about MPs — before they pack up for yet another break from Westminster.
The official could earn up to £61,000 a year and will receive “excellent benefits”.
But with public distrust of politicians running high since the expenses scandal the successful applicant will have their work cut out.
This year MPs are taking more days away from Westminster than ever and are in line for a wage increase as civil servants endure a pay freeze.
The full-time official will work under the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, who ensures MPs follow their code of conduct and investigates claims they have not.
To help probe MPs’ misdemeanours the successful applicant must have “excellent analytical and research skills and be resilient”.
Polling this year showed that the public trust politicians less than estate agents, bankers and journalists.
There has also been criticism of MPs after it emerged that they would sit in Parliament for only 150 days this year.
They head back to constituencies for another two weeks today, having only recently come back from a fortnight’s break for Easter. They return on June 3 but leave again for a six-week break on July 19.
Meanwhile, plans recently drawn up could see MPs’ salaries rising from £65,738 to more than £75,000.
Matthew Sinclair, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance campaign group, said: “If MPs were to take a £10,000 or £20,000 pay hike, I dare say the complaints manager would be working overtime.
“That kind of rise would be totally unpalatable to the millions of workers seeing their own pay frozen.
“And while any MP worth their salt will be hard at work in their constituency during this latest recess, it does mean ministers will get away without being scrutinised for another couple of weeks.”
