Rishi Sunak is working on tough new anti-strike laws

Tbh there's no point even bothering with ExpectMore as they are only interested in spreading the idea of "no infinite money tree" and make up "facts" to support the idea that we somehow couldn't afford to pay nurses more (but can spend an obscene amount of money to pay agency nurses for shifts).

Take a good look at the connections between rich people and those in government. It is a one way siphon of money from the poor (ie all taxpayers) to the super rich and well connected.

Politicians exist to help them make money, that's why they are put in power.

Don't expect anyone to then believe their boohoo crying about not being able to pay nurses.

I agree that MPs shouldn't be allowed to have second jobs (with no exceptions).

I do not think the argument that MPs get a set salary regardless of their performance or attendance in the HoC - second job in the Caribbean (Cox), going to the jungle (Hancock) or taking paying speech engagements and holidays in Singapore & US (Johnson) - is particularly winning.

Of course they actually get more depending on their committee commitments.

As do those in other professions that take on additional responsibility? Head of year or SEN lead for example?

Agreed. But the cyclical nature should catch it up to some extent eg next year it'll be based on this years data whereas actual inflation next year might be lower.

It agree that it's not however a perfect system!

In part that's why I have an issue with people wanting "inflationary" or "inflationary +" pay rises, particularly as the level of "inflation" an individual actually experiences is dependent on their specific circumstances

It's not misleading. Your argument seems to have changed - now MP do get higher % hikes but that's because they all get the same from day one.

Of course they actually get more depending on their committee commitments.

The Independent pay review bodies set pay increases much earlier this year.
Inflation was something like 5.5% at the start of the year.
Now it's around 11%.

Its misleading as it's not comparing like for like.

MPs all get the same salary independent of how long they've been doing the job for ie the starting salary of an MP is the same as the salary of an MP who has been in post for 10 years.

This is different to police, nurses, and teachers who all increase year on year through spine point linked increases (ie they move up a spine point - independent of performance and purely for being a year longer in the job - which attracts a higher salary).

So whilst an MP whose been doing the job for 10 years will only get "inflationary" (note: not in alignment with inflationary) rises, a teacher / police officer / nurse etc will get both experience and inflationary pay rises.

It is however obviously true that in 2022 the MPs have got a higher inflationary award than nurses as the nurses have got nothing due to the unions rejecting their offer!

She really did seize the day didn't she
Eyes on the prize with her tongue hanging out she really did seize the day

Medpro hadn't even been incorporated at Companies House when Mone contacted Gove.

"I don't believe it demonstrates an example of those in government issuing contracts to their pals:
A - (I if as you say is true) she claimed to have no link ie they (at least believed they) were awarding to an independent company
B - in the case where the government (Matt H*) knew / suspected improper behaviour he didn't act on it and called it out"

Or it means the Government didn't do its basic due diligence before handing out huge amounts of taxpayers money.

Honestly if you haven't followed the story before you really should now.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/dec/09/revealed-the-full-inside-story-of-the-michelle-mone-ppe-scandal

From 2020 MPs salaries have risen faster than starting salaries in police, teaching & nursing

fullfact.org/online/public-sector-salaries/

What has changed is our inflation levels.

"Medpro was the first company and it was for useless PPE. Mone claimed no link to the company, was put on a VIP lane. She & husband pockets £70 million"

If that's proven to be the case it's clearly wrong and I hope and trust will be punished accordingly.

I don't believe it demonstrates an example of those in government issuing contracts to their pals:
A - (I if as you say is true) she claimed to have no link ie they (at least believed they) were awarding to an independent company
B - in the case where the government (Matt H*) knew / suspected improper behaviour he didn't act on it and called it out

• I should add, I can't stand Matt H in general but it seems like he did the right thing here!

Medpro was the first company and it was for useless PPE. Mone claimed no link to the company, was put on a VIP lane. She & husband pockets £70 million
I can picture it....
quick quick we've got to get our hands on those millions find someone anyone who can pretend they got PPE, just knock it up quickly out of any old crap, we've got to get those millions this is our chance to make it big, there's a fire hose of money and we can direct it into our bank accounts
They just made like bandits..... partying and whooping it up

"The stories about her (potentially, yet to be proven) trying to use her influence to secure a contract by sending an aggressive email which Matt Hancock took no action on and then called out as being wrong? Yes

Isn't this an example of the process working....?!

Or am I missing something?"

Yes you are missing something.

The Hancock email was a second attempt to gain a contract through a second company - lateral flow tests.

Medpro was the first company and it was for useless PPE. Mone claimed no link to the company, was put on a VIP lane. She & husband pockets £70 million.

These are the facts.

Railway shareholders and top execs have been getting wealthier, while we pay more for tickets, staff had stagnant wages & worse working conditions.

That is a fact.

In nursing, agency nurses make A LOT of money. This money could be spent on just having enough nurses to start with. That's a fact.

You're choosing to conveniently ignore the facts, and when they're pointed out, you just drop out of the discussion because you "disagree". There's nothing to disagree with - it's all available to see and read.

That's my point. If we can afford to fund billionaires to get their new private jets, we can afford to pay nurses more
Billionaire's gotta stick together and help each other out gotta swap tips on how to hold onto those billions and grow them into trillions
You have to try and see it from the billionaires point of view, up there at the top of the mountain, to them we are just little ants, why would they pay the nurses a decent wage when they can just hoover up all the money so that everyone has to obey them?

She's incredibly well protected. As is her husband, who is barely mentioned in these stories.

The process working? Are you kidding me? Well, it is how the process works. Give contracts out, don't expect anything that functions in return, try to hide the story as long as possible, deny it, ignore it, try and block it (really - how long do you think this story has been brewing...) until eventually it is impossible to ignore it, then ask her to take a short holiday til we've all forgotten about it.

That's my point. If we can afford to fund billionaires to get their new private jets, we can afford to pay nurses more.

Well said!

Are these the pals that caused him and his boss to be humiliatingly thrown out of cabinet?

Some pals they are...!

Again, the truth is often simpler than the conspiratorial fiction...

PS I'm assuming you realise it would be pretty much a dereliction of duty for a chancellor not to meet with the markets and financial institutions before making key decisions...? His issue is he didn't do it enough nor listen to what they were saying. That's why the markets crashed as they lost confidence in him

The two main problems are how to fund and keeping to OBR rate for next year inflation. And would be still with Labour.

They are pro union but it wouldn’t make those issues go away.

Private sector haven’t been unscathed though - they were hit hard during pandemic and felt the pain financially, which now has an impact too.

@Miajk I'm going to say we need to agree to disagree as you are clearly very attached to unsubstantiated emotive fiction and choosing to ignore fact (which is your prerogative) and I'm not prepared to waste my time engaging in such discussion.

I come here coming to learn and improve my worldview but that requires intelligent discussion and debate, not unfounded crap.

Have a nice day 👍

Liz Truss knows we are so rich she could give away (or lose us, same difference) £30 BILLION pounds in just a few weeks.

Kwarteng met with his stockmarket pals a day before he decided to trash the economy. Google 'Kwarteng + shorting the pound' to see how many hundreds of millions some people were able to make after his budget.

If we have money for that, we have money for nurses.