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Original poster

Quick! MP's need a Salary increase

128 replies

Porfre · 07/10/2021 07:03

According to long serving Tory MP Sir Peter Bottomley, his colleagues are suffering.

They're finding it difficult to survive on their MP salary of £82,000.

They need a Salary increase to £100,000, because of all their hard work.

How can you argue with that?

YABU- They dont deserve a salary increase.
YANBU - Of course their salary should be increased!

OP posts:
LawnFever · 07/10/2021 07:04

They can fuck off Angry

Original poster
Porfre · 07/10/2021 07:04

I mean they've only gone and cut the UC by £20 a week, how can we expect an MP to survive on such a meagre salary?

OP posts:
Moneysavvymam · 07/10/2021 07:05

please this must be joke

Sarah2384 · 07/10/2021 07:06

I read today that they also get £25/night food allowance when they're away from their constituency so I wouldn't feel too sorry for them. Do they get travel expenses too, does anyone know?
Certainly puts some real perspective on them removing the £20/week for families in need to pay for increased food and fuel prices Hmm

Sciurus83 · 07/10/2021 07:07

Look everyone needs a salary increase, and I don't think £100,000 is an unreasonable salary for an MP. But, they have had increases over the last decade when the rest of the civil service has been on pay freeze/caps, I believe at one point they had an 11% increase due to the independent panel which recommends such thing. Until the rest of the civil service gets their independent panel and pay increases it's not fair they are singled out as a special case, again!

OverByYer · 07/10/2021 07:08

As much as it pains me to say it, I think MPs should be paid more but if that happens they should not be allowed to take second jobs.
They earn less than some senior managers in the public sector.
I think if they were paid more and were prevented from taking money from elsewhere they may be more focused on doing a better job for their constituents.
Probably not the best time to be having this debate though.

Original poster
Porfre · 07/10/2021 07:08

Yes but how are the MP expected to pay their gas bill this winter?

Theres a good chance it will have increased significantly.

OP posts:
ACNHMAMA · 07/10/2021 07:12

@OverByYer

As much as it pains me to say it, I think MPs should be paid more but if that happens they should not be allowed to take second jobs. They earn less than some senior managers in the public sector. I think if they were paid more and were prevented from taking money from elsewhere they may be more focused on doing a better job for their constituents. Probably not the best time to be having this debate though.
Yes, but it is public money.

The generally accepted way of thinking in the public sector is that you get paid less than you would for doing the same job in the private sector.

So they should lump it like the rest of us in the public sector with our pay freezes have to do. Lead by example and all that.

ACNHMAMA · 07/10/2021 07:13

@Porfre

Yes but how are the MP expected to pay their gas bill this winter?

Theres a good chance it will have increased significantly.

They're probably all getting winter fuel allowances and grants etc on the side.
Sirzy · 07/10/2021 07:14

The fact this has been mentioned by him now just goes even further to show how out of touch most of them are.

SirSamuelVimes · 07/10/2021 07:14

My initial reaction is "fuck right off". But I think it's probably more complicated.

Being an MP is a pretty hard job, certainly it comes with a lot of unpleasantness and abuse, it's unstable (elections every four years or so) and the working hours are all over the place. It is paid well compared against the average salary but is it paid well against the average salary for a job role of that nature? Does the salary mean that talented people who might otherwise go I to politics are put off, and go into law (for eg) instead, where they can earn much more?

If MPs aren't paid a wage designed to attract and retain high calibre candidates we lose out on high calibre MPs. We go back to having a political class dominated by the independently wealthy for whom the salary is irrelevant.

I think timing of this is insanely stupid, good will for doctors is high, for MPs is low, so a comparison between the two at this point in time is unhelpful. But in general terms I can see the point being made.

FreedomFaith · 07/10/2021 07:14

They deserve a decrease or being fired for the shit job they are doing. Angry

Original poster
Porfre · 07/10/2021 07:16

@Moneysavvymam

please this must be joke
Not a joke.

He brought it up at the Tory party conference

OP posts:
SirSamuelVimes · 07/10/2021 07:16

@Sciurus83

Look everyone needs a salary increase, and I don't think £100,000 is an unreasonable salary for an MP. But, they have had increases over the last decade when the rest of the civil service has been on pay freeze/caps, I believe at one point they had an 11% increase due to the independent panel which recommends such thing. Until the rest of the civil service gets their independent panel and pay increases it's not fair they are singled out as a special case, again!
As an ex teacher who spent her whole career on a pay freeze, I very much agree with this! If they want a pay increase (which may well be fair, see above) they need to sort out raising other public sector wages FIRST.
SirSamuelVimes · 07/10/2021 07:17

@FreedomFaith

They deserve a decrease or being fired for the shit job they are doing. Angry
That's what elections - or recalls - are for.
Ylvamoon · 07/10/2021 07:17

With Brexit and inflation everyone needs a pay rise.

Maybe it's a case of leading by example?

SodapopCurtis · 07/10/2021 07:19

@SirSamuelVimes

My initial reaction is "fuck right off". But I think it's probably more complicated.

Being an MP is a pretty hard job, certainly it comes with a lot of unpleasantness and abuse, it's unstable (elections every four years or so) and the working hours are all over the place. It is paid well compared against the average salary but is it paid well against the average salary for a job role of that nature? Does the salary mean that talented people who might otherwise go I to politics are put off, and go into law (for eg) instead, where they can earn much more?

If MPs aren't paid a wage designed to attract and retain high calibre candidates we lose out on high calibre MPs. We go back to having a political class dominated by the independently wealthy for whom the salary is irrelevant.

I think timing of this is insanely stupid, good will for doctors is high, for MPs is low, so a comparison between the two at this point in time is unhelpful. But in general terms I can see the point being made.

Please replace mp with nurse. Why shouldn't mp be a vocation
BabbleBee · 07/10/2021 07:19

Bottomley claims it’s ‘grim’ for newer MPs trying to manage on their starting wage of £82k + expenses

He’s also said that they are ‘general practitioners in politics’ and should be paid the same as ‘general practitioners in medicine’

He is completely ineffective locally. He represents an area with pockets of significant deprivation and does absolutely fuck all to support the community…. Gives me the rage Angry

martingrowler · 07/10/2021 07:21

I think MPs salaries should be low. If MPs were paid small salaries then we'd have better ones in my opinion as they'd be in the jobs through passion and giving a shit instead of the lifestyle. Much like our nurses and teachers.

Sirzy · 07/10/2021 07:22

Does anyone have figures for the average expenses claim for an MP?

Ifailed · 07/10/2021 07:22

£82k for a professional role in London is nothing special. However add in all the jiggery pokery that goes on with expenses, 2nd homes and employing family members as 'researchers', it's probably nearer £150k, which is sufficient.

KittenKong · 07/10/2021 07:24

I can only assume there was more to this story (lord knows how) because how can anyone be this tin eared?

I thought the whole idea of them sitting from afternoon was so that they could ‘attend to their business’ in the mornings...

FreedomFaith · 07/10/2021 07:24

That's what elections - or recalls - are for.

That only works if people stop voting for them. I bet they'll get this pay rise AND get voted in again next year. After essentially telling British people that we mean fuck all to them.

SirSamuelVimes · 07/10/2021 07:26

@FreedomFaith

That's what elections - or recalls - are for.

That only works if people stop voting for them. I bet they'll get this pay rise AND get voted in again next year. After essentially telling British people that we mean fuck all to them.

We get who we vote for! We can't be angry at the mp because people votes for them. You have to be angry at the electorate, and/or the opposition parties for not providing a better alternative.
WrongKindOfFace · 07/10/2021 07:27

@Sciurus83

Look everyone needs a salary increase, and I don't think £100,000 is an unreasonable salary for an MP. But, they have had increases over the last decade when the rest of the civil service has been on pay freeze/caps, I believe at one point they had an 11% increase due to the independent panel which recommends such thing. Until the rest of the civil service gets their independent panel and pay increases it's not fair they are singled out as a special case, again!
I agree.

And, quite honestly, to bleat about how hard done by they are right now is really failing to read the room.

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