1 Like
Itâs pretty disgusting really, especially when you consider the amount of money and benefits they already have access to. Mhairi Blackâs maiden speech highlighted the fact that sheâs the only 20 year old in the country that gets help with her living expenses.
It wouldnât be so bad if this money was there to keep 'em pure and uncorruptable, but thereâll be as much lobbying as there always is. They will just get paid more to do it. With the Conservative MPs in particular, it feels like weâre paying thieves to rob us.
2 Likes
Iâm quite ambivalent about this for two reasons:
-
Because of the reduction in their pensions and expenses, this is apparently cost neutral. I wonder how many of us would stomach a reduction in, say, our mileage allowances or our employersâ pension contributions without some sort of recompense?
-
Whilst ÂŁ60K + is a very nice wage it HAS devalued over the years. Thereâs a real risk that becoming an MP will be confined to the already wealthy rather than representatives of ordinary people (and there still ARE some MPs who are that).
But I can well understand that it will stick in the craw of public sector workers. The sensible answer would be to increase public sector workersâ salaries.
1 Like
A few points
they didnât vote this in, the independent body responsible for mp pay did. In fact a lot are not taking the rise
secondly, the benefits, expenses and payoffs they are entitled to have been reduced at the same time so this is revenue neutral to the tax payer
ÂŁ74k for an mp seems reasonable to me
having said that the timing couldnât suck any more, if they tried
2 Likes
Maybe if most of them didnât have 2nd well paid jobs and long bloody holidays I could agree with this. Actually probably not. So many of us havenât had a pay rise in a long long time. There are more and more cuts. Werenât we all in it together? They should take some of it too. Only time I agree with the rush to the bottom.
1 Like
Its never been about the pay, theyâll always tell you itâs about public service when in fact its naked ambition and power.
Once youâre an MP you have access to all sorts of things that money couldnât buy, power, authority and lots and lots of lobbyists wanting your signature or permission, for a fee of courseâŚ
1 Like
Originally posted by @Barry-Sanchez
Originally posted by @hoofinruth
Iâm quite ambivalent about this for two reasons:
Because of the reduction in their pensions and expenses, this is apparently cost neutral. I wonder how many of us would stomach a reduction in, say, our mileage allowances or our employersâ pension contributions without some sort of recompense?
Whilst ÂŁ60K + is a very nice wage it HAS devalued over the years. Thereâs a real risk that becoming an MP will be confined to the already wealthy rather than representatives of ordinary people (and there still ARE some MPs who are that).
But I can well understand that it will stick in the craw of public sector workers. The sensible answer would be to increase public sector workersâ salaries.
Its never been about the pay, theyâll always tell you itâs about public service when in fact its naked ambition and power. Once youâre an MP you have access to all sorts of things that money couldnât buy, power, authority and lots and lots of lobbyists wanting your signature or permission, for a fee of courseâŚ
Not all of them. I suggest you read Dennis Skinnerâs autobiography.
Skinner is part of a dying breed though, and the mechanisms that brought working men like him into Parliament, the experience of representing the working man in the unions, has been successively derided and/or diminished by politicians red or blue. Ed Miliband owed his leadership to them, yet wouldnât march with in solidarity with the NHS protestors, because heâs scared of being tainted with the same brush.
Most of Labour is under the impression that it needs to be more Tory to be credible. I disagree. They stupidly played to a lot of the Tory rhetoric, and while I know that Scotland didnât cost Labour the election, that should be the most important lesson Labour take from this, if itâs not too late to make a difference. Chase English floating votes and places like Scotland will go elsewhere. I wonder if theyâll ever get it back.
2 Likes
Skinner is a dying breed of honest union sponsored not careerist representative politicians, no PPE or power trip with him.
A legend, the best and a true one and only.
3 Likes
So on the same day that the MPs get 10% they will cut the allowance to Asylum Seekers.
âMinisters say current UK payment system gives asylum seekersâ families âsignificantly more cash than necessaryâ to meet essential needsâ
I know it doesnât cover housing and bills but Iâd expect a little bit more for to buy food. But I supose they can go to food and clothes banks.
âThe changes we are making have been drawn up using a tested methodology designed to ensure support levels are sufficient to cover essential living needs." - Maybe we could use that for MPs pay?
1 Like
I agree they didnt vote for it but they could refuse to take it as we were all supposed to be in this together. ÂŁ74k might be reasonable for an MP but what about what nurses earn and all of the other hard pressed public sector workers? I doubt if anyone esle lower down the pecking order is on the pay scale they deserve. I understand the need to cuts but it should be the same for everyone. Mrs SOG and I have both left our jobs in the CPS now because the working conditions had become interlorable. The pay rise for those who have forced through the cuts in the Criminal Justice System (and to all the other Government agencies) just pours salt into the wound.
1 Like
Turns out the pensions deal is bonzer as well. Pays out after 14 years service. Boom!
Seeing as they are cutting back jobs throughout the public sector, perhaps they should consider reducing the number of MPs and making the pay rise self financing?
1 Like
I thought that was something they did actually want to do?
Apologies if I am wrong on that one. Youâve all read my posts, it happens fairly often.
No, it was proposed then dropped because the biggest losers - if thatâs the phrase - would have been a bunch of Tory MPs. The HoC will remain at 650.
Thanks, FB.
Always nice to know that thereâs some semblance of sanity in there.
And MPs salaries raises its ugly head yet again.
A ÂŁ3k pay rise this year would be an obscenity - though I guess a lot of them rake in more through their âadvisoryâ / âconsultancyâ sidelines
Clap every thursday. Each thursday = ÂŁ50 increase. No clap no moolah.
1 Like