To think MPs are underpaid

I know that but they have to spend most week in London so need two homes. Unless they stay in a hotel. I’m saying there should be a maximum they can claim for that

I would say the risks of being a member of the armed forces, and even a police officer, have always been there and. Part of the job for the military you could say @namechangeGOT . It isn't really for an MP.

I agree.

But, going off on a tangent, god knows who would want to be an MP these days.

Death threats are commonplace and what happened to Jo Cox, David Amess and Andrew Pennington trying to protect MP Nigel Jones - just terrible

The pay isn't the problem, its the lack of entrance qualifications.

They're paid hell of a lot more than a police officer or a member of the armed forces, both also very full on jobs. I'd say the death rate in both those professions is far higher than what it is for MPs.

I think they should be paid double. They should also get travel expenses.

That's it! No expenses. No second jobs or dodgy money from companies. Pay them well and expect them to work full time for the country.

Make it a requirement to live in their constituency? Might be a start.

Indeed, I live in a very working class area and I don't think any of our MPs have ever lived in the town...

I agree and tbh I don't know

Make it a requirement to live in their constituency? Might be a start.

Hugely overpaid you mean...!

Fuck off
I'll carry on doing my job being an ex teacher supporting young adults with learning disabilities to achieve something of their days
On minimum wage as that's all they get in dla.

@Willyoujustbequiet but how do you tackle the issue that they end up with people like Boris and Rishi who don't need the money, they are not there for public service, they are so far removed from most of the electorate, they push their own elite agenda.

God no. They're on roughly x 3 the average household income. Plus its supposed to be a vocation...public service....not what you can get.

Anyone who thinks they are underpaid needs to check their privilege. You don't want people who lack awareness about those they represent.

OP, you have asked this question on MN. Where anyone earning more than 50p a week is rich and grabbby if they want more. This ‘make a chicken last a full month’ forum. Being smart and aspirational, judging on performance and output is not accepted around here. Everyone should be poor and grateful for it.

I think the system is just fucked overall tbh. I don't know how you'd do it fairly.

But I do think we need the brightest people leading the country. And I can't see many bright, top-of-the-class grads giving up 6 figures right out of uni, to pick a career that MIGHT pay £91k, somewhere down the line.

If they want an increase in pay then they should actually be in the chamber more, they very often don't sit on Mondays or Fridays & if they do they don't start until 2.30 on the Monday & are finished by 2.30 on the Friday, half the time the benches are nearly empty. Years ago they were still sitting until late in the evening.

You can earn much more in banking (edit financial services more accurately), law, and a very few tech positions. Top graduates are waaay over £100k

You’re absolutely right.

The calibre of people if parliament is so low that you would not pay these morons to clean out your shed. It almost like the job attracts a certain kind of cretin. Often corrupt, in it for what they can steal. Many times just thick as two short planks. And mostly lowering the bar.

Honestly, no other profession attracts such a low standard of candidate.

No self respecting business leader, entrepreneur or successful person enters the profession unless they want to steal from the public.

Until these people are paid better and required to have real life business experience, we’ll continue to get these type of people.

I completely agree. How do they expect to get talented people when a middle manager at a small bank gets paid more 🤦‍♀️

it’s not even a secure job. That’s why the system encourages those form wealthy families to go into politics - they don’t need the cash.

If it's such a shit paid job then why on earth do any of them go for it?

Do you really have to ask? Do you really think Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson or Jacob Rees-Mogg were there for the salary?

If it's such a shit paid job then why on earth do any of them go for it?

Yes - and that's the issue. It attracts people who are motivated by maxing out the other benefits, especially in relation to their other businesses.

It doesn't motivate people who are ready to do a good work for a good money.

Maybe they should treat it like a military job, put them up in blocks in London for their London business for their second home, there will be a risk of Legionaires, but it'll be cheap so they should be grateful

@Happyher the second home allowance is for those whose constituencies are a distance from Westminster. They're meant to live in their constituency.