To think the headline about young MP giving away half her wage is misleading?

[SarahH12]

A friend shared an article with the headline "Britain's youngest MP vows to only take home £35k of her £79k salary" with lots of comments that it's great she is giving away half her salary.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/britains-youngest-mp-vows-only-21094591?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mirror_main

By the time you take into account tax, NI, pension, possibly student loan etc her take home would be in the region of 40-45k. So whilst it's great she's planning on donating 5-10k and it's a lot more than a lot of people, she is nowhere near giving away "half" her salary. Also she mentions she wants to take home a "working" salary. The average nurse takes home way less than 35k!! I work for the NHS and I don't know a single one of my colleagues who takes home that much.

What percentage of your salary do you donate, OP?

I think she's doing an amazing thing. It's a pity that some people just can't help moaning.

Also she’s just 23. When I was 23 I was blowing all my salary on booze and clothes. I didn’t have the moral fortitude to think of others like that.

^All 23 year olds I knew were busy saving for the future.

And when politicians do this kind of thing, it is just more of a publicity stunt than anything else, like if no one was going to find out about it then I doubt they'd do it.

Well she’s making a statement isn’t she? Not telling anyone about it would completely miss the point of the gesture - trying to draw attention to inequality!

It's not her fault that people are uneducated idiots who don't know people pay tax etc.

But you are being totally unreasonable for giving out about this. She hasn't told anybody she is giving 35,000 away to charity. She is not asking for credit for giving away half her salary. She has said she will take home 35,000. I think that's a reasonable wage for the job she will be expected to do.

Yes nurses aren't paid as much. But there are plenty in the public and private sectors taking home a hell of a lot more.

She can't be blamed for idiot members of the public.
Which is what you seem to be trying to do.

"it is just more of a publicity stunt than anything else,"

Some multimillionaire MPs could drop 20-30k without noticing

Unless she's hidden an inheritance of millions or several lucrative City directorships,
then this will massively reduce the standard of living and disposable income that even the poorest MP normally has.

She can't be blamed for idiotic OPs

Plenty of us donate a huge percentage of our income without the need to publicly announce it.

But as you’ve started a nasty thread to bash someone doing something positive, even if it’s not the amounts you think she should be donating, please tell us these huge amounts you’re donating to charity. Then we can identity if they’re as huge as you say, maybe even start a thread on it?

She’s doing a great thing. Don’t be petty, OP

OP I’m confused by your maths- numbers are admittedly not my strongest suit but how is 79k minus £45k only £5k to £10k?

The swapping around of gross Vs net salary to suit whatever spin is being made is infuriating!

What exactly is your problem, OP?

She didn’t write the headline. She has decided to give away a proportion of her salary. Why has that upset you so much.

kikisparks - 79k salary before tax, 40-45k salary after tax, 35k after donation.

So 40-45k minus 35k is 5-10k

So on 79k her annual take home after tax and NI (not sure on MPs occupational pension) would be approx £55k. So she’ll be giving away £20k to take home £35k unless I’m getting something wrong.

The rough equivalent for me would be to give away £10k of my salary. I probably only give a tenth of that. I really admire what she’s doing and think it would make much more sense to focus on the MPs who are not doing this despite having huge savings.

Good for her.

Hey - we can all follow Tory maths now when it comes to what we are going to do.

Boris Johnson has set the example with his claims on NHS funding and nurses.

@OceanSunFish thanks! I was a bit confused but think I’ve worked it out now.

• Also she’s just 23. When I was 23 I was blowing all my salary on booze and clothes. I didn’t have the moral fortitude to think of others like that.

^All 23 year olds I knew were busy saving for the future.*

Wow all people have different priorities what an eye opener. Thanks for letting me know.

When I say the equivalent for me I mean as a percentage of my take home annual salary.

What a fantastic and generous thing this young MP is doing. Shame on you OP.

kikisparks - because apparently the fact she pays tax on a £79,000 gross salary, may end up paying back more of any student loan, will not be entitled to benefits or tax credits that other "workers" might be entitled to, etc, is irrelevant to the OP. Apparently, we are still supposed to be disgusted by her greed in thinking she deserves as much as £35,000. Apparently, by saying nurses, TAs and firemen, who all earn very different amounts, are all underpaid, she is being greedy not to just retain the same amount as the OP, who is conveniently ignoring the fact she earns a lot more than a TA herself. And also ignoring the fact that the MP does not actually say in the article that she thinks MPs do not deserve £79,000 per annum, just that whilst other workers are underpaid, she will underpay herself, too.

Take home isn't 55k if she's got a pension and student loan.

I work for the NHS and I don't know a single one of my colleagues who takes home that much

Your doctor colleagues would take home that and more. Managers would be taking home more depending on length of service and managerial level.

She won't be working a job where she "clocks off". She will be expected to be available and on call to the public 7 days a week. I think she is being paid a fair salary for the job she will be expected to do.

SarahH12 - she very clearly states in her article that she does not think MPs do not deserve £79,000 . So effectively, she is deliberately massively underpaying herself to highlight the fact other people are massively underpaid and have no control over that. She does not say she is trying to earn the same as you.

the article, not her article!