To think MPs are underpaid

It isn't a popular viewpoint but I agree the wage is low.

I would prefer to pay more, tighten expenses and limit second jobs.

I know an MP, they work so hard - 12+ hours a day, 6-7 days a week. They need a second home and travel allowance to be able to be able to split their time between their constituency and Westminster. London accommodation is expensive.

Not all MPs are equal though - some do the bare minimum. I wouldn’t have thought they had time for a second job.

I think they should receive an amount that means they don’t have to claim massive amounts for expenses. I’m ok with a second home allowance for those who live a given distance from their constituency but this should be a fixed amount - the same for all of them

They are not at all badly paid they get 2.5 times the median uk income. They are very wealthy. They can get more than their basic mp salary in various ways if they feel the need of more. They don't need to be particularly intelligent or knowledgeable and a lot of them aren't. They have the advice of actually knowledgeable and qualified Civil Servants when they need to actually make decisions if they have a ministerial role. Those who don't have a ministerial role very rarely have to make decisions they just show up and vite in the way their party whip tells them. The actual skills and experience needed to be a good ordinary backbench mp are not ones that would command a salary that high in any other sector. Ministerial level roles are more similar to highly paid senior roles and get paid significantly more (about 4.2 times the uk median salary) plus the likeihood that having been a minister they will have their pick of as many as they wish of cushy director roles that pay them £60kpa for attending 4 meetings per year once they are out of office.

Pay more and ban most second jobs, anything that would vaguely benefit from lobbying govt.

I have no problem increasing their salary but only on the condition that they do not have second jobs. We should expect our MP's to be full time.

Yes I agree with this, and whilst we need to safeguard democracy, I think there should be more accountability for MPs not engaging in the role, I think it was Nadine Dorries that was not attending debates or answering enquiries. It becomes a postcode lottery as to how effective your MP is, sadly the electorate aren't engaged either to keep democracy efficient.

Yes but I’d also get rid of all the ceremonial guff and move them to an ordinary building in the midlands. It’s such a weird job and so many are attracted to the glamour / profile rather than the duty.

The issue is not that MPs are hard done by. The issue is attracting the right people. Who will do the job properly

Most MPs take a paycut to become an MP. FWIW I don't think it's the money that puts people off, it's the public scrutiny. No sensible person would want that. So you end up with the same type of flawed personalities as are in the media.

They are paid well over the average. There's no qualifications or experience for this role, they are not performance managed and no one seems to monitor performance or commitment (ie Nigel Farrage, only turns up for self promotion and lies about being told not to hold surgeries). They can all continue with other professions/roles and have generous allowances, subsidised meals and bars, plus the kudos of their positions. Which many seem to work to the max. They also have a very generous pension scheme and recompense if they lose their seat or additional positions.
My heart bleeds

@Sugarflub yes but he was very clever.

Earned more than £91k plus very generous expenses in his first graduate job?

Totally agree my very clever ds earned more than mps in his first graduate job. It’s not going to attract real talent without the pay being appropriate.

I totally agree. I earn an awful lot more than the PM and my job is nowhere near as important.

I think it would help increase the diversity of MPs too as it's quite a gamble to quit your career for a job that may well be less well paid (e.g. it would be a pay cut for most doctors and lawyers) You're also at risk of having no job come the next election.

All that means that being a politician is much more viable with family money behind you.

I have no problem increasing their salary but only on the condition that they do not have second jobs. We should expect our MP's to be full time.

I suspect that their political connections is the reason they get offered other jobs and suspect most would not trade a those jobs for a pay rise which should tell you all you need to know about how corrupt/broken the system is.

I also think there should be a cap on expenses.

A quick google will tell you that their "most common" expenses on top of their £91,000 salary can be claimed to cover:

Vehicles
Home
Travel
Food
Childcare
Phones
Loans and overdrafts
Pensions contributions
Work clothes
Office decorations
Staff parties

Then there are loads more under less common but still seemingly allowed expenses. Imagine if you didn't have to pay for anything on the above list from your wage. The seemingly modest wage is a bit of a smokescreen.

I think MPs are paid enough, especially with the allowances etc, they are paid more than alot of the highly experienced and often highly qualified professionals who advise them/work across government.

I do think 'access' to being an MP is where the issue lies, unless you have private funding or are influential and can secure investment then really there's little to no chance of even having a tiny slither of a chance. Widening this somehow would be the biggest factor.

They are massively underpaid. The issue is they have power without proper recompense. It’s not healthy in a democracy. And it leads to the same old over privileged types taking on the roles.

A successful lawyer or accountant for example would not be attracted by the current salary unless they had private means on top.

They should be on at least £200k, and second jobs completely forbidden. And the revolving door from parliament to board room should be forbidden for say 2 years post leaving parliament

Yep. The fact I get paid more than an MP blows my mind. My level of contribution and responsibility pales into insignificance in comparison.

The basic annual salary of a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons is £91,346, plus expenses.
They can also have second jobs.
They are not badly done to.

Overpaid as many have other jobs

Actually, I agree with you OP. The days of people going into politics as an act of service are largely over, I think - so if we want good people we need to pay them. Same as any industry.

I never thought so but having seen how poor Lord Alii has to buy not only the PMs clothes and glasses but his wife( in name only) underwear they really must be on the breadline.

I tend to agree. The reason we get stuck with Tory toffs who are completely removed from society is because it attracts wealthy power hungry people who do not rely on the salary. The same happens in the senior civil service, it creates a very un-dynamic environment.

However they don’t just get that pay they do get other things like a second home basically allowance also energy paid as well. I think there’s a lot of other things you have to consider that they do get like travelling costs so I don’t think it’s just a flat wage that you can compare it to.