Furious that MP's are to get an 11% pay rise!

[Millenniumbug1]

Why? When the rest of the country is wondering how we're going to pay our heating bills, we had 30,000 deaths due to the cold last year, (many more than Switzerland), but the MPs award themselves this pay rise.
I always feel indebted to vote, but I wish we could have a box on the ballot paper which says that we don't like any of them! I just don't think they've earned an 11% pay rise.

[Plomino]

They get £75 a week for breakfast . To eat at the Palace of Westminster , which is already subsidised as it is .

When I am on aid , which can start in the early hours of the morning , and lasts until I am dismissed ( which can be 14 - 20 hours long ) , and can mean that we end up anywhere and not always even within the Met , I am no longer entitled to operational feeding at all . Which now means that in the midst of public order situations , you now have carriers of police officers either going without , or queued up outside McDonald's , which looks just great for the image .

I know who I'd rather be paying to feed , and it's not those with their snouts in the trough right now .

[prh47bridge]

the question isn't about how much MPs are paid

Actually I think that is the question. Whenever MPs get a pay rise there are howls of indignation. As a result, contrary to popular belief, MP's pay has been going up slower than average wages for years. If they had kept pace since 1964 MPs would now be on £85k+ rather than £66k.

My view is that there is never a good time to increase MPs pay (and now is one of the worst times possible) but it needs doing.

I note that a number of MPs have already said they will reject this rise.

And they lose their "truly platinum plated pension" as part of this with contributions going up and the final pension falling in line with the rest of the public sector by being based on career average earnings.

[Plomino]

It's not falling in line with the rest of the public sector . They accrue 1/40th of their salary every year . My pension has changed to 1/60th . They pay 13.75 per cent. I pay 14.2 per cent . I pay for my own meals , my own travel lodge stays when I've finished way behind the last train home , I pay the extra tax for my already paid for travel , and the cost of my 200 mile daily commute in fuel costs when there is no public transport . As do nurses , doctors , social workers , civil servants , police staff , teachers , firefighters and paramedics .

I note they have SAID they will reject this rise . I await with interest the proof that they have . Or if they cannot reject it , perhaps they would like to donate it to a deserving cause . Like a food bank for those who don't get their food paid for .

[SteamWisher]

prh47bridge

Yes MPs' pay hasn't risen much but their allowances most certainly have to compensate.

So sorry but no sympathy here.

plus it's a part time job. They can take on other jobs including being a prime minister. Which pays more.

Google and read the MPs' register of interests.

[diddlediddledumpling]

MPs salaries haven't kept pace with what? With the so-called comparable professions? I and others have already said up thread that we're not convinced the professions are comparable.
The salaries of teachers have not 'kept pace' either and yet the government continues to implement a pay freeze, despite recommendations for a rise by the SSRB. That's the problem here, that MPs are getting a rise while other public sector workers are not. And the rise they are set to get is huge.

[noblegiraffe]

What would an MP's salary be if they worked full time and how does that compare to the City?

[Thistledew]

The only good thing about these rises is that it clearly shows up the hypocrisy and lies behind the austerity measures- that it is not in fact a case of "we have no money, we have to cut" but "we choose to cut for ideological reasons".

The main political leaders have said that they think the rises are wrong, but it is noticeable that not one of them has said "11%? That would be nice, but we can't afford it."

[BakerStreetSaxRift]

KidLorneRoll, what's "clearly fucking stupid" is you failing to recognise that MPs do not run the country, that's what the cabinet ministers are there for, getting paid more than twice what an MP does. So give over.

Also, they are paid pretty well in comparison to what someone in the City would get paid who worked part time, no transferable skills, and was a middle management type. AND they get expenses for most City workers normal everyday costs.

The point is, 11%, when the rest of the public sector are also due a raise but there is no money for it, is abhorrent.

[bobbywash]

OK, IIRC correctly I read something that indicated each MEP gets more than an MP (and with allowances etc is in the region of £400K), Don't forget to have a go at local council workers who earn more than £100k. Head teachers who also earn over £100K (and there are some). There are bigger scandals right there.

Also whilst some have bought politics into this and blamed Dave, just remember the pay body was envised, set up and the head of it appointed by Labour whilst they were in government.

I still think it's wrong to give them 11% with all the other benefits they get, but there are far more important things to get angry about.

[Netguru]

I work for two MPs. Both do it full time, neither has a second income, both stay in rented flats in London and don't claim for bills etc. Both are conservative btw in case that makes a difference). Both were/are main wage earners at home as wives are still expected by constituency workers to have an unpaid role.

I wanted to stand for parliament 20 years ago and did in a seat I wouldn't win. My intention was to go on to the next election in a better one but I had a family. I was approached 5 years ago and asked to have another go but it is the last thing I would want to do now. I've seem so many marriages split up due to the long hours away from home and the constant demands 7 days a week. At least when I go home I can have a break. I know females MPs who struggle to combine family life and work, give everything they can, work for constituents and charities and have no extra income who have reviewed letters saying they are greedy bitches who deserve sexual attacks.

The vitriol on this thread against all MPs regardless of whether they would like the money is ridiculous. They have NO SAY.

Keep ensuring that MPs are paid less than average GPs or head teachers and you will only get those who either have no worth in the job market or who are independently wealthy standing for parliament.

[BakerStreetSaxRift]

GPs do 4/5 years at university, after getting mostly straight A grades through school, then all their rotation years, and are medical professionals. That compares to the average bog-standard MP how exactly?

[mercibucket]

europe is an even bigger gravy train and disgrace

mps don't have much responsibility now it is all 3 line whips and party politics

at least head teachers and heads of local councils do a proper job although I wouldnt pay them more than an mp either

for me it is the equivalent of a part time middle manager in sales.

[SteamWisher]

Netguru but many MPs can work in other jobs.

And they have hefty allowances.

MPs are not under paid by any stretch. Let's not pretend now.

To top it off, GPs and all the other public sector workers have 1% pay rises and have done for years. Why should MPs get a bigger one now when supposedly there's no money.

That's what makes me so angry.

[mercibucket]

maybe junior sales really as there is little responsibility

it should really be the same pay as jobs that are done for the good of wider society and to help others eg social workers nurses teachers police

conditions should be improved to make it 9-5 wherever possible although of course nurses and police work shifts

pay rises should be linked to general public sector pay rises

perhaps increments for relevant qualifications such as a degree in their subject or a field of interest such as a committee they are on

by banging on about pay in the city we give the impression we want a bunch of amoral dickheads running the country. no thanks.

[mercibucket]

sorry
not running the country as that is not what backbenchers do
representing their constituents

they also need a better hr policy. no more sexism thanks. sack those ones.

[Binkybix]

Keep ensuring that MPs are paid less than average GPs or head teachers and you will only get those who either have no worth in the job market or who are independently wealthy standing for parliament

Are you saying that people on less than £100k (average salary for GP) are worthless in the job market?!! That's ridiculous.

I don't hate MPs. I know they can work long hours, but they don't actually have that much responsibility and do get quite a lot of perks.

[ophelia275]

Everyone should write to their MP and say that if they plan to take up the 11% increase, they will not be getting their vote in the 2015 election. Should sharpen some of their minds to the issue.

[pumpkinsweetie]

Agree op i'm furious too!!
What a waste of money, when there are people out there that work hard for a pittance!

These Mps are a joke, their gas is paid, their homes are paid for, they are paid far too much money and to top it off, then there are expenses thet claim for too!

[pumpkinsweetie]

And fwiw Gps do a lot of hard work to get where they are, hardly a comparision is it!

[bobbywash]

It's easily searchable (made up word sorry) but at last count there were over 2500 local authority employees on over 100K per annum

Also over 700 gp's earned over £200K, now I know we are not comparing, but there are only 650 odd MP's.

800 Headteachers over £100,00 and what are the teaching staff getting by comparison. That's about a quarter of all STATE school heads earning over 6 figures

Don't pick on MP's for their salary, moan about the percentage increase yes, but not the value.

[SteamWisher]

Tell me bobby can these other professions claim the level of expenses that MPs can?

[prh47bridge]

Yes MPs' pay hasn't risen much but their allowances most certainly have to compensate

That was indeed what happened in the past. MPs were told they couldn't have a proper pay rise but their expenses would be increased as a back door way of giving them a rise. Then the public became outraged at expenses and changes were brought in to limit the amounts they can claim. The proposed changes introduce further limits. For example, MPs will no longer be entitled to claim for an evening meal when a sitting lasts beyond 7:30pm. According to IPSA this will bring MPs into line with what a typical professional would expect to receive in expenses. Whilst I don't know whether that will be the result of these changes I think that is the right goal.

They accrue 1/40th of their salary every year

If the IPSA sticks to its original proposals that will be reduced to 1/51st per year and contributions will be increased. Whilst this is a better deal than you tell us you are getting it is, according to the Hutton report, on a par with other public sector pensions. Of course, within the public sector some do better than others. And it is still generally the case that public sector pensions are better than those on offer in the private sector.

it's a part time job

It is true that we allow MPs to take on additional jobs but the most recent independent research available suggests that the average MP works 70 hours per week on parliamentary and constituency issues, which doesn't sound very part time to me. There are, of course, some who are much harder working than others. One of the problems I see in our system is that it is almost impossible to remove a lazy MP if they manage to get elected in a safe seat.

And on a point raised by a number of posters, paying a high salary doesn't guarantee that you will get the best people but paying a low salary pretty much guarantees that you won't.

[prh47bridge]

Tell me bobby can these other professions claim the level of expenses that MPs can

Remember that MPs have to claim on expenses things that in most other jobs wouldn't be handled this way, e.g. office equipment, stationery, postage and staff costs. According to IPSA the additional changes they are making will bring MPs expenses in line with typical professionals.

[SteamWisher]

65k isn't a low salary. It's in the top ten percent.