Any Thoughts About Our Poor Underpaid MP's

[ZOFO]

I put this out to the rest of you, I saw this and just could not believe what I was reading, OK it is the Sunday Mail, but come on give all of us serving guys a bit of Credit, and don't just add fuel to the fire!!

Any one else any thoughts on this

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,176-2484037,00.html

[Tourist]

I personally think we should pay our MPs a lot more than that.
We might then get some quality people!

[GlosMikeP]

Having read the shameful letter from the Secretary of State, Des Browne, in the Daily Telegraph yesterday (2 Dec) re paying the RMs the promised £3k, I wouldn't pay them in lead washers of any value.

Self interest magnified by the cash for peerages and the stench that surrounds this government from every direction, it's an outrageous suggestion they should get £100k a year - and say nothing of the gold plated pension that makes other public sector ones second rate and anything in the private sector utterly derisory.

No. I wouldn't. They haven't earnt it and don't deserve it.:*

[Melchett01]

Absolutley disgusting. And no doubt any pay rise for that bunch of parasites would come from our taxes, which will no doubt go up to fund it.

What exactly do they do to deserve such an increase above the rate of inflation that we have to put up with. Apart from: (allegedly) flogging off honours, dodgy loans (and then complaining that the Police are all over them), Prescott being a general embarrassment that is either punching voters or shagging secretaries, the Tories 'hugging hoodies' and being generally such a bunch of non-entities that I think I can probably name half a dozen of them from memory, Tony taking us to how many wars in his quest for his Nobel Prize, various dubious sex scandals and Gordon taking more and more money off us -

Apart from that lot, why on earth do they have the audacity to even think they are worth 100k?

Sir John Butterfill, a senior Tory MP, who contributed to the 1922 committee submission, said: “There are a lot of unhappy bunnies

No sh1t there are a lot of unhappy bunnies - we're all in the Armed Forces you nugget!

[green granite]

They should have to exist on a wage no higher than "the National Average Wage" that way they would know what all the Chancellor's taxes do to the average man in the street, and be much more in touch. Why they think they should be on a par with doctors I fail to understand :ugh::ugh:

[PerArdua]

What about performance related pay? Or a Bonus submitted by their Line Managers to say why they deserve it? Or what about they get assessments and every 5-7 years they get a 10% payrise if they are 'specifically recommended' for it.

green granite, I like your idea as well and we could always put the backbenchers on benefits instead of the National wage as they do nothing all day!!!

PA

[charliegolf]

AND...

If my sums are close, an MP serving one 5 year term before being identified as a cnut would have a better pension than most lowly workers. Nurses low grade civil servants etc, who've done 20 years in the job.

That's bound to cheer up the junior ranks.

CG

[Polikarpov]

It's not just the salary however, it's the phenomenal expense claims. Whilst a doctor's salary may well have to account for such things as travel to and from work, accommodation whilst at work (if away from home), etc., MPs get to claim all of that and much more besides; their salaries have to account for very little.

Prescott's total expenses bill for last year according to theyworkforyou.com was over £115,000 alone, and that's before his salary. That included £12,826 for the vague "Additional costs allowance" and £14,874 for "Incidental expenses". Despite this figure, he's ranked toward the bottom of the expenses league table!

[Sgt Bilko]

Their pay rise should be capped at 3.0%. Since the treasury thought is was decent enough for the rest of the Civil Service why should it be different for them?

[Matoman]

I would give them £100,000+, but in return they would have to give up all of their highly paid employment 'outside' parliment - non- executive directorships etc, etc. The only reason they are appointed to these 'additional jobs' is because of their 'status' as an MP and the influence and contacts they can 'bring to the table'. However, you cannot tell me that it does not impact on the time they can spend actually in the chamber or dealing with constituency issues.

Perhaps with this additional money they could then devote themselves to serving the people who actually elected them, rather than attempting to line their own pockets by seeking additional employment elsewhere.

[spud]

Couldn't agree more. For running the country well, professional MPs should be paid very well indeed and should devote their time totally to the job, not dabble elsewhere.

For running the country like a knob, they should be booted out.

Somehow don't see either happening.

[Zoom]

Had the same MP for over 17 years now. Never seen him. Never seen him do anything significant in Parliament except when he got involved in the cash-for-questions scandle. Never seen him speak out on anything significant locally if it was in the least bit contraversial. I even had to call his agent a couple of times 2 elections ago to suggest that he extract digit and get on the radio and get out-and-about like his opposite numbers to tell the voters what he was about. His salary is my money well-spent...................NOT!!

[gravity victim]

Why do MP's keep comparing their pay to that of 'other professions'? Maybe they need reminding that a 'profession' is an activity requiring competence in a particular set of knowledge/ skills, the possession of which is guaranteed by formal qualifications. Doctor, Accountant, Engineer, Pilot, Lawyer = professions. Street sweeper, labourer, pimp, drug dealer, Member of Parliament = not professions.

[NURSE]

considering they are asking Nurses in the NHS to take 1.36% pay rise well below inflation I think its outrageous.

[philrigger]

Their pay rise should be capped at 3.0%. Since the treasury thought is was decent enough for the rest of the Civil Service why should it be different for them?
;)
I think you will find that MOD Civil Servants are to get 2% (Due from last August).

'We knew how to whinge but we kept it in the NAAFI bar.'

[Krystal n chips]

Mine has clearly been mentored by Zoom's it seems. Other than swelling the coffers of Virgin West Coast's operation by commuting to / from London, has managed to remain totally anonymous during said MP's tenure.

The paw goes up in support of the Divine One's policies faster than a certain (alleged ) very fast jet beginning "A and ending with "a". An avid supporter of road charging, said MP feels it is also completely right that many of you have to spend time in hot and dusty places. No surprise there of course.

To show said MP's further grasp of reality and popular perceptions, said MP wrote after the last election how appalled said MP was about the nasty and uncalled for things people had said about Tone during what is loosely described as canvassing---non of the peasants--sorry, the general public, were made aware of any appearances by said MP however--strangely.

But there was one photo shot of said MP with a tray of Eccles cakes--go figure. :mad:

[round&round]

The brilliant thing with this is the utter hypocrisy of these MPs. For years they have told us inflation is steady whilst we all see Gordon's ever increasing stealth taxes continuously eroding our purchasing power. Guess what, MPs have noticed it now and want a 35% pay increase. This is the clearest indication ever what the real, true, unadulterated inflation rate is. Ironically, this has to be the first time something has come out of Westminster without spin in 25 years!!

Sad thing is this rate of true inflation is inconvenient if you earn a basic of £67K. If you are on the minimum state pension it is catastrophic. Give MPs 0% and allocate the money to those in our society who have worked and paid for it and need it the most. If they don't like it they can stand down at the next election. Most MPs have other sources of income anyway such as directorships etc.

[EODFelix]

I'm sure that in the distant past MPs salaries were tied to that of a mid ranking CS (Principal I think). However when they capped CS pay rises they capped their own pay rise and so broke said link. Restore the link and place them on mark time pay I say.

[MilSpFunc]

£60,000+ salary
£139,000 expenses (average)
£Subsidised resaraunts, tea rooms and bars
Grace a favour dwellings for many
Wives employed as secretarys from expenses
Special pension provision
No requirement to turn up for debates - most days house has less than 50 in the chamber!
Longest holidays in the country
Time off for party conferences
No qualifications required to hold post (bit like estate agents really)
No proffessional development requirements
Finish work early on Fri to travel home, start work late on Mon
Plenty of time to hold down second and even third positions
Civil Service capped at 2.5% and grades fiddled with to reduce wage bill
Lack of clarity (perhaps even honour) when dealing with service personnel's pay and allowances despite operational Tempo
Lack of disciplinary action when caught transgressing - fat boy Prescott etc.

No I am sure they deserve a 66% pay rise - NOT.:=

[airborne_artist]

They want to be compared with GPs and Council Chief Execs:

GP - 3 x A at A-level - apply for Med School - only 5% get in. Work very hard for 5 years to get medical degree. A further 5+ years of work, and on the job training, knowing that one slip = someone's life.

Council Chief Exec. - good degree. Work hard for about 20 years going up the greasy pole, probably get additional quals along the way. When they get a CE role they'll be spending £100m + of taxpayers' money, so watch out for the knives - one slip and you are dead.

MP - lick loads of arses. Get selected, lick more arses. Vote the way your Party tells you to vote. Get loads of extra money for TV, articles in papers and "consultancy" which means opening doors for the company who is paying you. Lick more arses. Get a knighthood or seat in House of Lords , people lick your arse. One slip and you leave your wife for a younger, blonder model.