Their Snouts are Back in the Trough

[Fish]

All in it together, all their snouts firmly stuffed back into the trough!

That's a 12% increase!

http://ind.pn/12ntAC2

 

[bobmac]

I like the bit where the report says

But he insisted there was “never a good time” to deal with the issue and warned that avoiding an increase could create another expenses-style crisis as politicians sought to top up their salaries.

Who's to say they still won't try and top up their salaries or as we call it....stealing, lying and cheating :sbox:

 

[Tiger]

All in it together, all their snouts firmly stuffed back into the trough!

That's a 12% increase!

http://ind.pn/12ntAC2

I don't see the problem. I've had a pay freeze for the past two years while food, fuel, energy and travel prices have risen astronomically. During that time Ministers have repeatedly told us we're all in this together and have clamped down on wages in the public sector. So it's great to see them experiencing the same pain as the rest of us...hang on a minute...

I love how they talk about it being offset by making them pay for their own dinners and use taxis more responsibly. It's a hard life...

 

[Fish]

I love how they talk about it being offset by making them pay for their own dinners and use taxis more responsibly. It's a hard life...

Especially when they harp on about their only on around 75k a year, what about the direct family they employ and put through as expenses also!

White collar thieves, the lot of 'em..

 

[Doon frae Troon]

I don't have a problem as my MP gets paid a lot a lot less than my GP.

She ruffled William Haig's feathers yesterday so at least she is making a contribution.

 

[In_The_Rough]

Independent panel what a joke. None of them any good either

 

[PhilTheFragger]

I think some people under estimate how much work an MP actually does,
Look at the work they do and compare that to industry or even to top council jobs in the public sector and you will see that MP's salaries are lagging behind

There are Council leaders who get paid more than the PM......work that one out???

Also look at the job security situation for an MP in a marginal constituency, you could easily be out of a job at the next election.

Id rather have people running the country who are well paid and therefore able to resist any temptation of fiddling, rather than have underpaid MP's who will be on the lookout for ways to fiddle the system.

 

[Fish]

I think some people under estimate how much work an MP actually does,
Look at the work they do and compare that to industry or even to top council jobs in the public sector and you will see that MP's salaries are lagging behind

There are Council leaders who get paid more than the PM......work that one out???

Also look at the job security situation for an MP in a marginal constituency, you could easily be out of a job at the next election.

Id rather have people running the country who are well paid and therefore able to resist any temptation of fiddling, rather than have underpaid MP's who will be on the lookout for ways to fiddle the system.

But they hardly pay for anything, almost everything goes onto expenses so their "salary" is mainly disposable income! I don't see many struggling or not having a nice holiday......

 

[Foxholer]

I have (only) a little sympathy for any group attempting to set MPs salaries.

Finding a reasonable automatic method is the key imo.

It's certainly not a 'performance related' increase though and they've actually stopped Civil Servants automatic ones, so that's a bit ironic!

While some of the 'perks' seem excessive, I don't believe there's a commercial organisation that doesn't provide meal expenses where 'after hours' work is involved. 7:30 seems a bit early though.

For a large number of MPs, it's not exactly a 'secure' career, though a 5 year contract is definitely a long one!

More transparency of their office arrangements and outside roes is what is needed imo.

Milliband is being hypocritical saying he'd stop certain things if elected. He could easily stop, or at least wind them down, now! And by coming out saying what he would do, he knew Cameron would have to react the way he has.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

To be honest I think it would be sensible for MP salary to be fairly consistent with GP and Headteacher - so let's say £120K. That would of course mean a significantly greater increase than that suggested so I'm guessing not a suggestion that goes down well.

But the other side would be that their expenses would go completely other than maybe travel to London. So no second homes funded through expenses etc. and funding for all their staff would also have be paid out of the salary. Further they'd have to drop completely all other employment as being an MP is their sole purpose in working life. Their conditions of employment as an MP would also prohibit them making money out of having been an MP or out of 'inside' knowledge gained as an MP for a period of maybe 1-2 yrs after leaving the commons.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Not so easy as the expenses of a Hebridean MP would be a hell of a lot more than a London MP.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Not so easy as the expenses of a Hebridean MP would be a hell of a lot more than a London MP.

They get their travel paid for? Maybe overnight accomodation if they live outside of the M25 - standard business hotel stuff. Besides business expenses are business expenses - and if incurred and receipted they should be covered - those far flung MPs won't make money out of it if receipted. It's a lot cheaper for me to get to our Central London offcies than any of my colleagues up in Scotland - and we are encouraged to work from home. As it happens my company doesn't pay my travel to London as London is my 'base' location. I've got to pay my own travel (daily £35 return by rail) if have to go to my office.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

But they hardly pay for anything, almost everything goes onto expenses so their "salary" is mainly disposable income! I don't see many struggling or not having a nice holiday......

Yes but given that they are running the country they should be paid more than the boss of your local Tesco superstore

Having listened to Jeremy vine at lunchtime I understand that the salary increase is part of a package that will reduce expenses and should save 7 million a year, so we can't just look at salary in isolation

 

[Hacker Khan]

Yes but given that they are running the country they should be paid more than the boss of your local Tesco superstore

Having listened to Jeremy vine at lunchtime I understand that the salary increase is part of a package that will reduce expenses and should save 7 million a year, so we can't just look at salary in isolation

Good point. It is all about the overall package, the salary is one part of it. I'd much rather MPs are paid a decent equivalent wage for what they do and their pensions and exes are more tightly controled and reduced, which I understand is what this is about.

I'd rather have them paid £100,000 a year and very little extra with regards to exes and all the other things they can and have been fiddling. Than £60,000 a year and plus exes for this, claims for that, gold plated non contributory pension, etc etc.

 

[macca64]

Good point. It is all about the overall package, the salary is one part of it. I'd much rather MPs are paid a decent equivalent wage for what they do and their pensions and exes are more tightly controled and reduced, which I understand is what this is about.

I'd rather have them paid £100,000 a year and very little extra with regards to exes and all the other things they can and have been fiddling. Than £60,000 a year and plus exes for this, claims for that, gold plated non contributory pension, etc etc.

Does anybody really think this will stop their expenses,!!!!!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Good point. It is all about the overall package, the salary is one part of it. I'd much rather MPs are paid a decent equivalent wage for what they do and their pensions and exes are more tightly controled and reduced, which I understand is what this is about.

I'd rather have them paid £100,000 a year and very little extra with regards to exes and all the other things they can and have been fiddling. Than £60,000 a year and plus exes for this, claims for that, gold plated non contributory pension, etc etc.

^I'm sympathetic to this point of view

 

[palindromicbob]

So much annoyance at this.

 

[SocketRocket]

Good point. It is all about the overall package, the salary is one part of it. I'd much rather MPs are paid a decent equivalent wage for what they do and their pensions and exes are more tightly controled and reduced, which I understand is what this is about.

I'd rather have them paid £100,000 a year and very little extra with regards to exes and all the other things they can and have been fiddling. Than £60,000 a year and plus exes for this, claims for that, gold plated non contributory pension, etc etc.

^^^^^^ This

 

[Val]

Good point. It is all about the overall package, the salary is one part of it. I'd much rather MPs are paid a decent equivalent wage for what they do and their pensions and exes are more tightly controled and reduced, which I understand is what this is about.

I'd rather have them paid £100,000 a year and very little extra with regards to exes and all the other things they can and have been fiddling. Than £60,000 a year and plus exes for this, claims for that, gold plated non contributory pension, etc etc.

Spot on, I also believe that the Govt should purchase a hotel or apartment block and given them who require it lodging there to stop all this second home nonsense.

It's a thankless job and a genuine vocation for which they deserve an appropriate pay for without all these hidden add ons in expenses. During the expense scandal I was horrified to see that my local MP at the time (John Reid) claimed over £20 for Sunday papers!!!!!!!

 

[SocketRocket]

When they decided their own pay we didn't like it. We wanted an independent review body.

Now they have an independent review body we dont like what they are saying.

Simples!