to think the PM should be paid more?

[chomalungma]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8750253/Subdued-Boris-Johnson-worries-money-salary-shrunk-150k.html

This is a tricky one. I loathe Boris Johnson - but this is about any PM. Not just him.

Yes, they get the flat at Downing Street. It's rent free. He doesn't have commuting costs.

But this is the top job in the country. Massive responsibility. Lots of hours of work.

Should the PM be paid more? (any PM BTW)

Not until attracts a candidate with the calibration to command a better salary... currently I don’t think Johnson should be getting what he’s on!

whilst there's no doubt that PM pay has fallen in real terms over the decades/centuries, I can't say I care. the Tory party leader is chosen by ballot by the party's members, ie a few thousand septuagenarian home counties bigots, there's no meaningful sense in which it's a 'meritocracy', so increasing pay wouldn't have the slightest impact on the quality of candidate.

FFS he was desperate to get the job. He must have known what the salary was. If he can't manage and plan his personal finances then how the hell can he expect to be able to run the country. Oh.

Did he not know the salary when he went for the job?

When I remember what my Husband was paid in the armed forces , A big fat no .

PM should only be paid a set number of times of the minimum wage (FT x 37 hours a week). That’s meant to be liveable so that’s fine.
He shouldn’t have so many children if he can’t afford them.
Being ex-PM is extremely lucrative, take a loan out, you’ll earn millions a year eventually, no matter how shit you are.

Whinging about a salary if £150k when so many people are facing redundancy is tone deaf.

Whinging about having to support 6+ children on £150k when the Tories capped child benefit at 2 children is tone deaf.

What has been gained by him going public with this? Or is Michael Gove up to tricks?

@Username6587423

They should definitely scrap their pay rises and replace with a weekly clap!

I reckon Boris has definitely had the clap, maybe not weekly, but frequently, no doubt!

Perhaps he could take some ironing in.

@Justajot

Whinging about a salary if £150k when so many people are facing redundancy is tone deaf.

Whinging about having to support 6+ children on £150k when the Tories capped child benefit at 2 children is tone deaf.

What has been gained by him going public with this? Or is Michael Gove up to tricks?

Paving the way for giving up on the job early next year I reckon.

I agree it's not that high but he has no expenses and free accommodation.

The prestige also makes up for the salary and his wealth once this over will soar simply from speaking engagements, advisory roles and possibly a memoir. It's a pinnacle in terms of position but a stepping stone in terms of salary.

@SunbathingDragon

Being a PM is usually a springboard to being paid very well in subsequent venues.

Whilst I think there are more important jobs in the country, the fact that some footballers are paid more per week than our PM is a year doesn’t feel right. I know many ardent fans will say that football is much more important but it really isn’t, especially not in the middle of a pandemic (and yes Brexit, but the Tories allowed the vote so can deal with the fallout).

Yes I agree but we can never compare private organisations I.e those who pay footballers with public sector/civil servants/politicians.

No. After they stand down, their politic insight guarantees them well paid work as non exec directors, plus the after dinner speaking circuit can net them £20k per appearance. That's enough.

Footballers have an actual skill.

Johnson’s only skill is to lie.
Maybe he can be fined for every lie he tells the public and we can pay off the countries debt in a few short weeks.

Yes it's ample, but it's diddly squat compared to the top of the private sector. I'd like to think that if the salary was higher you'd attract a better calibre of politician but I'm not sure you would.

This is the best laugh I have all day. I can't help but wonder if just this is a PR thread. OP, are you team Boris?

I have no sympathy. He knew what he was doing, he persuaded it relentlessly. He has fucked everything up, and he is a prize knob.

I think as PM you can pretty much guarantee that a few years on £150,000 will then lead to millions on the after-dinner speech circuit so you can probably survive the hardship.

However, I do think some prospective talented politicians are put off by the fact that they could earn more i the private sector without the public and media scrutiny.

The door is also open too wide for those for whom the salary is unimportant as they can rely on family money or money that they've married into, which favours a certain very narrow sector of society.

@Chocolate4me

I thought they'd be on double that really for the massive responsibility, what do they do once they are no longer prime minister for a living and housing?

They make millions from after-dinner speeches, newspaper columns and the likes

Boris doesn’t get taxed on Downing St as a benefit in kind here, but given his American citizenship and tax issues there it’s possible the Americans do see it as benefit in kind and taxable

If so that’s his own fault for being lax with his tax affairs until now and not knowing

@Username6587423

See I think if politicians were paid about £30k, max £45k with experience and performance targets based by their voters then only those truly passionate and not in it for the money and glory would apply 🤔 Just like teachers, nurses.......etc!

This. Politicians (especially Tory politicians) represents pretty much everything wrong with the world right now.

No. We are repeatedly told the certain professions are underpaid because it's a 'calling'. As far as I'm concerned this is one of them.

They make shed loads when they retire and the job shouldn’t be solely for the money. No one forced him to give up his previous lucrative lifestyle in order to obtain his life‘S ambition. From the looks of things he should have remained a journalist and left the job to someone who can be competent.

Poor old Boris! Dear of him. I’ll remember to stand outside and clap for him next week.

Nope, they know what the job pays before taking it.

They also all know what being a former PM pays after the temporary job ends.

Zero sympathy for Boris and his money problems. Although am concerned Covid has affected him mentally, thus making the shit show of a government he's put together even shitter. He needs to be gone.

Hahahahahahahahaha...

Err...NO!!

You BELIEVE that?!

For starters I don’t believe for a MILLISECOND he’s struggling financially!

He comes from a VERY wealthy and privileged family, has lead a VERY wealthy and privileged adult life and has fingers in many pies! Carrie for that matter is hardly taking bottles to the corner shop for pennies either!!

Secondly for ANYBODY £150,000 PLUS expenses (which frankly mean they barely have to spend ANY of that money on the things all the rest of us have to! Like rent/mortgage, bills, food...) is MORE than enough

MPs (inc the PM’s) salaries aren’t mean to allow them to build a nest egg but to fairly compensate them for their time such that serving the country isn’t a role that cannot be fulfilled by ordinary (ha!) people which was the case in the past.

Thirdly - if you think capitalist MPs go into politics for altruistic reasons more fool you! They don’t only benefit from the salary and the expenses, they benefit by passing legislation which benefits them and their families/friends in terms of helping their business interests.

Yea yea I know that’s not SUPPOSED to happen - but it does!

Just look at the number of MPs who are property developers or landlords...and then look at their voting records on housing matters!

Look at the number of MPs involved in things like hedge funds...and then look at their voting records on taxation and business legislation!

Look at the number of MPs with shares in utilities companies..:and look at how they vote on the regulation of those including price hike prevention (again ha!)!

Then as pp has said AFTER he’s pm he will make a FORTUNE giving speeches, writing forewords for others books, probably writing his own books knowing Johnson, being a figurehead for numerous other companies and organisations “fulfilling” roles that don’t involve any real work, “consultancy” work, writing trashy columns...

BELIEVE ME he is not skint!

Another amount of money to consider...

£342.72 per month!

That’s £4112.64 a YEAR

That’s how much a single claimant on UC gets!

That’s around (I think) 36 TIMES LESS than Johnson gets!

Come back when you're living on what you say the poorest amongst us should be more than able to live on.

exactly!!

If we pay more, do we get a better one? that would be logical wouldn’t it? I don’t think so though

See I think if politicians were paid about £30k, max £45k with experience and performance targets based by their voters then only those truly passionate and not in it for the money and glory would apply love your thinking but...how about instead of the minimum you suggest how about they get nmw and bonuses for certain targets?

At the very least I would:

Remove the 2nd home crap - instead have a large apartment building owned by the state with one bed studio style apartments for those MPs who GENUINELY don’t live in commuting distance to Westminster. The building could contain on the ground floor conference rooms, a library and a dining room with adjoining kitchen for hosting visiting dignitaries when necessary.

remove the excessive expenses crap - instead:

ONLY

REASONABLE standard class travel expenses for those outside commuting distance or a reasonable (civil service basic?) mileage if they drive in.

REASONABLE food expenses ONLY if a “business” meeting type thing NOT for their bloody groceries and regular work lunches which every other regular person pays for out of their wages!

And NO MORE

Subsidising their food - seriously check out the prices for the VERY nice meals they have available in parliament, total piss take!

Providing subsidised ALCOHOL on the bloody premises - MASSIVE piss take, not just the cost but the LAST thing we want is drunks making such important decisions!

Paying for all the stuff that everyone else pays for out of their wages - clothes, shoes, haircuts, phones, tech, household bills including EXCESSIVE designer furnishings!, social expenses...

It’s such a fucking gravy train!

And I agree IF he’s struggling to manage his finances to this extent he’s got no fucking business holding the purse strings of the whole country!

and living in London oh puhlease! Sick of this MYTH that London is WAY more expensive to live in than other parts of the country! I’ve lived all over the Uk INCLUDING London and it’s utter bullshit!

so they’re not doing it for the money. they might not be doing it for the SALARY but I’d argue they’re doing it for how it benefits them personally!

There’s a reason why for a long time politics has mainly attracted people who are already wealthy. I think you need to consider the fact that those who aren’t otherwise wealthy already in terms of being property developers etc also don’t have a way to make being an Mp work for them personally, someone who’s been say, a teacher prior to being an Mp and hasn’t inherited wealth isn’t going to have that ulterior motive.

High wage does not automatically equal highly skilled, low wage does not automatically equal lowly skilled, that’s a complete fallacy.

Absolutely!

This is a man who’s never done a proper hard days graft in his LIFE!

Maybe it should be...means tested!