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.

[cheval1980]

I suppose its a good day to release this news, seeing as all the news stations will be preoccupied with the Mandela day of mourning...

[crazyspaniel]

Jeremy Hunt is determined to prevent a 1% "unaffordable" pay rise for NHS staff. I bet he doesn't consider a pay rise for himself to be unaffordable.

[BakerStreetSaxRift]

Diddle for your average bog-standard MP? No.

Head teacher, police chief etc all all likely to be experts in their field. MPs are certainly not.

[diddlediddledumpling]

I'd agree, baker.
I think they've looked at the top salaries in those professions, which isn't appropriate, in my opinion.

[brettgirl2]

I don't think they are comparable, no. But the only mitigation for me is that being an mp isn't exactly a secure job, therefore I suppose there is some argument for them to be paid a little more than their level.

[BakerStreetSaxRift]

It would be a more secure job if they were better at it

Maybe that should be the incentive.

[MyBachisworsethanmybite]

There are independent bodies that recommend salaries for quite a lot of public sector people - the Senior Salaries Review Board for one.

They make recommendations that salaries should be increased, with reasons as to how much and why.

In recent years the Government has overridden their recommendations and imposed zero/1% at best (and no increments in most of the civil service, so this is a real-terms cut each year).

If the Government can override the recommendations of every other public sector review body to hold down salaries for political reasons, it seems a little odd that it is "unable" to override the IPSA recommendation and hold down MP salaries for political reasons.

[TiredDog]

A colonel in the armed forces and an HR director in a health trust. How many of these get expenses to buy second homes and can do other jobs at the same time?

[ilovesooty]

Andy Burnham has said on Twitter that this will remove any Trust the public still has in MPs. Since the new lot of cuts announced in the Autumn Statement I'm gearing up for the third year of redundancies in a row. This was coupled with a pay cut last year and removal of the out of hours service the Year before. No pay rise for five years. We got a £50 Christmas bonus last year (non managers only) but nothing this year. We're not even taking on any more volunteers as we can't pay their travel expenses. This news makes me sick.

[ImpOfDarkness]

MPs' income should be linkedto the national average wage. Give the buggers some incentive to improve conditions for the great unwashed.

[BackOnlyBriefly]

I can't think of words to describe people who tell that if you can't afford heating you should wrap up in blankets and then give themselves a huge pay rise.


I hear there will be free 'cake' at the foodbank though.

[farrowandbawlbauls]

Personally Imp, I'd like to see them on the dole without removing any of the restrictions imposed on everyone else - THEN see what they say.

[Vev]

Along with 5 months holiday a year, disgusting. There's something wrong with this country. We are all in it together my arse!

[RibenaFiend]

I haven't had a pay rise in 6 years. I work hard. I can't afford any treats. Why are the affluent afforded more monies when those who are struggling (and I mean those worse off that I am) can't afford their hearing bills. What a crock of shit

[Chivetalking]

It's quite nauseating.

They've just found another way to keep their snouts in the trough.

[QuintessentialShadows]

It is sickening.

Everybody has to economize. "We are all in this together" My arse!

Why dont they force an 11% increase on all?

It should pay to work for everybody.

[QuintessentialShadows]

Hear Hear Vev!

[PigletJohn]

A back bench MP does not have a responsible job comparable to a Brigadier or a hospital consultant. He is paid to sit quietly and go through the lobbies to vote in obedience to his party's instructions.

Meanwhile his assistants, working for nothing or funded by the taxpayer, write sympathetic letters full of flannel to his constituents. He may sign these letters, and possibly read some of them.

As being an MP is a part-time job, he can occupy himself as a company director or spouting nonsense on TV and radio.

If we the taxpayers are forced to pay them a full-time salary we should require them to do a full-time job.

The common people are required to compete for jobs at a market price. If 60 youngsters apply for every minimum wage job in a burger bar, the wage offered doesn't go up "to attract the best"

High pay goes to those who can wangle it for themselves if their employers either agree or have no control over it.

[noblegiraffe]

What also annoys me is what a half-arsed job some of them do when it comes to voting. When you look at the voting records, some of them are hardly ever there! What about value for money?

[QuintessentialShadows]

And some of them even have time for Jungle adventures for TV.....

[Iamsparklyknickers]

Excellent post PigletJohn, we need to remember these are public servants not masters.

[farrowandbawlbauls]

If you want to think about half arsed jobs what about the numerous reports about IDS's incompitence that get ignored time after time after time.

I'm sure I read somewhere he's about to write off a fair few million due to that crappy IT system he's tried to put in place. It's ok though, it's not as though the UK needs that money or could have been spent better somewhere else.

[TheStitchWitch]

Petition

[24joy]

Can't we start one of those online petition things? If you get over 100,000 signatures they have to discuss it in parliament - is that right? What do think?