MPs' staff quitting in their first year up 59 per cent as pay falls behind

GMB Union report finds almost nine in ten MPs' staff have considered leaving, as half of those who quit now go within ten months.

The number of MPs' staff quitting within their first year has risen by 59 per cent in two years, according to new figures obtained by GMB Union.

Data released by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) under Freedom of Information shows 805 staff left within 12 months of starting in 2025/26, up from 505 in 2023/24.

First-year exits rose almost three times as fast as hiring, with new starters up 20 per cent over the same period.

Almost two in three leavers (62 per cent) now go within their first year, up from 45 per cent, and half of those who left in 2025/26 had served less than ten months.

The figures are published in Restore the Floor, GMB's submission to IPSA's 2027/28 pay review, alongside a survey of 306 MPs' staff, which found that 87 per cent have considered leaving their jobs, with 64 per cent citing pay as the main reason.

The report reveals a bleak picture for staff working in Parliament:

• Pay has fallen behind prices: Prices are up 32.1 per cent since April 2019. The minimum salary for a London caseworker is now £1,871 below the London Living Wage, while in 2019 it was above it.
• Staff can't cover the basics: 49 per cent cannot meet normal living costs without regularly relying on savings, borrowing or help from others. •    They're running down savings to stay: In the last year, 46 per cent used savings for everyday costs, 43 per cent relied on credit or an overdraft and 18 per cent cut their pension contributions.
• Experience isn't rewarded: Just 12 per cent say their pay has risen meaningfully with their experience. More than half of all MPs' staff (55 per cent) are paid in the bottom half of their pay band.
• The job carries real risk: 83 per cent have felt unsafe at work, and 63 per cent have experienced abuse, threats, stalking, vandalism or violence.

GMB is calling on IPSA to award a 5.8 per cent consolidated rise to all MPs' staff pay bands and restore the 2019 pay band structure from 1 April 2027, which would lift the 2,353 staff currently paid below the restored minimums.

One GMB member working for an MP said:

“It is absurd how much more I could get paid doing the same role in another sector. 

“I will be leaving soon.”

Another GMB member and MP’s staffer said:

“In my current role four staffers have left in as many months.”

Lisa Gillmore, Senior Parliamentary Researcher and President of GMB' MPs' and Peers' Staff Branch, said:

“MPs' staff care about their jobs and are committed to serving constituents. But commitment doesn't pay the rent.

“Working for an MP is a demanding and sometimes risky job, and staff are not being adequately rewarded or protected. So they're leaving, and they're leaving sooner.

“Parliament will keep losing talented, dedicated staff until that changes.

 “That's why, through our One Parliament, One Employer campaign, we're calling for a single, central employer in Parliament, responsible for fair and consistent pay and conditions for all MPs' staff.”