A disgrace in my opinion

[PJ87]

Also - if you don't believe me on the office costs and think they are hoovering up this money for personal gain...
E-mail your MP about something and I'd be quietly confident you'll get a pretty quick reply.

Obviously it might not solve your problem or be more than a link to further guidance, but it will be a personalised response that someone has to produce or at least adapt standard content.

It is a disgrace that nurses are paid so low in the UK that's for sure.. however if we up their wages the cost of the NHS sky rockets

Giving more backing for it to be privatised .. which definitely don't want to see

It's a fine balance and it must be very hard to get right

I certainly wouldn't want to be an MP

 

[Grant85]

And mentioned very deliberately as notwithstanding who pays - I consider the comparison to be as ridiculous as comparing nurses pay with that of Laura Kuenssberg (and by implication attacking the BBC) when making a point about nurses pay.

absolutely. Ultimately nurses, journalists salaries are, to a large extent, set by market forces. If Laura Ks salary got bumped down to £50k... I'm sure she'd get a better gig at another broadcaster. Obviously it would be great if nurses got a bit more pay and that would help keep more people in the service. I think there is capacity for this, but it's unrealistic to think all nurses salaries can be increased 40%.

MPs are completely different as they secure their position by winning an election. Something that doesn't take into account normal job suitability. It's obviously the case that unsuitable people win elections (due to people voting on party lines) but also that a lot of times a good or very good candidate won't win or will lose after doing a good job. Once again, I'd make the point that I'm sure most of us wouldn't swap a 'normal' professional or technical role for that of an MP.

 

[Rlburnside]

It's always been a disgrace what nurses are paid, I remember when Maggie sanctioned a pay rise for judges and civil servants and refused to give fireman and nurses a rise, yet she was held as some sort of saviour by some.

It makes you sick to hear Torys applauding and saying how great nhs staff are yet it was not long ago they voted against giving them a pay rise.

 

[AmandaJR]

A few points.

MPs expenses are largely for the cost of running their office. This includes 2 to 4 staff members, property rental, equipment etc.
As well as travel and accommodation cost in London.

Might be an unpopular opinion, but the vast majority of MPs put a shift in, are away from families for hundreds of days a year and subject themselves to a level of public scrutiny that I certainly wouldn't for that kind of money. Obviously there are those who are 'at it' but out of 650, it stands to reason that the minority of bad cases make the headlines.

Like it or not, but it is actually important to pay MPs a good salary otherwise the benches would be filled with independently wealthy people (even more than they are) if salaries were low and barriers to entry were higher than they are. I also think if you were to look back 20 or 30 years, you'd see a high number of MPs were retired Doctors, Barristers, business people. I personally think the level of public scrutiny and general ill will towards MPs likely discourages many in this position from going for elected office and adding their expertise to the law making process.

Ultimately MPs do have a big impact in terms of driving policy, taxation, public service provision and it would be better to encourage and attract well meaning people to this role, rather than assume that all 650 of them have their snouts in the trough.

Generally being a (good) MP is a tough job and not one I'd want. The hours put in (many as you say away from home) and the vitriol they're subject to is horrendous. Add to that death threats and threats of violence, some of which we know, sadly, have been carried out. The expenses is one issue but the salary is still less than anything remotely as responsible a position would pay in the private sector.

 

[Grant85]

It is a disgrace that nurses are paid so low in the UK that's for sure.. however if we up their wages the cost of the NHS sky rockets

Giving more backing for it to be privatised .. which definitely don't want to see

It's a fine balance and it must be very hard to get right

I certainly wouldn't want to be an MP

Absolutely... and I'm sure with the right political will - there is capacity for nurses pay to be increased. Or ideally some kind of scale to properly reward the best and most dedicated people in the profession.

 

[Jensen]

At least Laura Kuensberg can actually talk properly, unlike Robert Peston.
He's like listening to someone having dental treatment

 

[Doon frae Troon]

For the last 20 years of my working life I worked for, with and around politicians from village councils to government ministers.
The vast majority work hard and do a very good job

The public generally do not understand the constraints they have to work within and of course they are sitting ducks for the weak minded to have a go at.

 

[drdel]

Lineker 1.3m - talks footie
Steve Wright D J, 750K, plays other people songs.
Etc?

 

[Wolf]

Lineker 1.3m - talks footie
Steve Wright D J, 750K, plays other people songs.
Etc?

Comparable to Nurses, Police etc how..

BBC choose to pay their staff out of their budgets that's not the fault of the employee. Also they will be paying a large amount of tax that is going towards NHS.

 

[drdel]

Comparable to Nurses, Police etc how..

BBC choose to pay their staff out of their budgets that's not the fault of the employee. Also they will be paying a large amount of tax that is going towards NHS.

Because its publicly funded. If they want to work in the private sector fine. There are enough talented people who would work for less.

An MP invariably pays the wages of a few others and Office costs.

 

[clubchamp98]

I’m not going to argue that footballers are fairly paid, but context is helpful. The footballer paid £50k per week will pay £22,500 in tax every week. What’s that used for? Among other things, nurses. This footballers weekly tax pays for almost a nurses salary.
A successful (if overinflated) industry like a massive sport, helps provide a social platform for this money which is sourced largely from private foreign wealth.
Again - not an advocate of the amounts, but the benefits to society are numerical.

Do they really pay that much tax?
Or does a very good accountant SORT it out for them to pay less.

 

[Wolf]

Because its publicly funded. If they want to work in the private sector fine. There are enough talented people who would work for less.

An MP invariably pays the wages of a few others and Office costs.

Still not the fault of the employee though and the tax they pay his going to be huge so that's a fair contribution going back. Licence fees paying wages is a whole different debate imo compared to the low wages of NHS staff.

I've also no issue with what an MP earns considering the time & effort they put in and grief they get or their expenses which probably pay a few salaries out of.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Your average MP is going to have to employ staff at both their constituency office and at Westminster, travel, possibly renting a place in London (for those that cannot commute)
So that sorts out the expenses side, everything is scrutinized these days, the days of moat cleaning are long gone

As for salary, considering their responsibility, lack of job security etc, they are certainly not overpaid when compared to the private sector
It is not a job I would ever want to do.

and yes Nurses and the emergency services and armed forces deserve more,

 

[Solidthreeputt]

Do they really pay that much tax?
Or does a very good accountant SORT it out for them to pay less.

Even if they do, they’re still going to be contributing more in tax than the other 95% of the population.

 

[clubchamp98]

A doctor or nurse is like an insurance policy .
You have to have it ,but you hope you don’t need to use it.
When you do use it you realise how important it is.
Then it’s forgotten about again.
So an MP needs their expenses to ensure they can do their job properly.
A doctor /nurse needs PPE to do their job properly .
Guess which one is short.
We were unprepared for a pandemic so who hasn’t done their job properly.

 

[clubchamp98]

Even if they do, they’re still going to be contributing more in tax than the other 95% of the population.

There was a rumour Wayne Rooney only paid £10 tax one year.
True or false we don’t know.
But the tax system needs massive changes to stop the abuses that big businesses get away with.
And rich individuals with top accounts.
But that’s another argument.

 

[Slab]

It would seem that all we need to do is give Nurses (police, doctors, firefighters etc etc etc, basically anyone in these areas earning under xyz threshold) an Expense allowance ?

This could cover their basic costs to/from work for public transport or a mileage allowance inc parking for private car, reasonable meal allowance, clothing allowance for items not supplied etc. surely no one will grudge them that. If front line medical staff or a police officer could claim back their bus fare/petrol etc I’m sure that would make a significant impact on how far their income goes without them getting any pay rise

Then these MPs could be 100% assured that a nurse wouldn't be frittering the extra cash away on a holiday in the Cotswolds or some other frivolity

 

[Leftie]

We were unprepared for a pandemic so who hasn’t done their job properly.

Errm. Possibly the NHS planners, managers and/or procurement staff??

 

[Piece]

Is it as simple that if we want nurses, teachers, etc. all to be on significantly larger salaries then we all pay much more in tax? All up for that?

 

[Deleted member 1740]

Is it as simple that if we want nurses, teachers, etc. all to be on significantly larger salaries then we all pay much more in tax? All up for that?

Yes, as long as starbucks, Amazon et al all pay there way 1st and foremost. If they do we might not have to pay more.....