I do think it's a large salary.
But expenses were introduced for exactly the reason that they hoped it would allow people to be MPs that were truly local to their constituency and genuinely interested in serving the people.

Expenses allowed poorer MPs who did not and could not afford to have 2nd homes in London to actually stand and do their jobs without what amounted to financially based discrimination.

Means test the fuckers that's what I say.
( TFD is sporting this season's finest necropants, Tue 12 May 2009, 13:50, archived)