What do out of work MPs do? Do they find another job?!

[AutismHelp1980]

Just that really?! I know Rishi will start making more money on the circuit now so to speak. But what do all the others do? What sort of jobs?

Exactly this. The current system results in a disproportionate number of independently wealthy/old Etonian types, partly because they’re the ones who can take the financial risk.

Agree! We've seen dozens of them. Relaxing viewing.

Yes, that's what happens.

My husband works for an MP who stood down at this election and he has been made redundant. If the MP would have stood and lost, that would have also resulted in redundancy.

They are allowed winding down costs for the staff to do "reasonable"work so DH is paid until November and this will be the case for all MP’s staff. The MPs who have lost seats will now have to make staff redundant (they are sent a detailed email explaining what to say and what can be expected / requested) and the MP can decide how long they wish to keep each member of staff on from now, between 0 days and the four months as mentioned. They just have to inform IPSA who are the organisation who pay staff.

@Chanel05, obviously only answer if you feel comfortable to, but is your husband hoping to get a job with a new MP, if that's feasible, given the results? Best wishes for his jobsearch, anyway.

Only if you're a high profile former Cabinet minister. Nobody will pay a backbencher for that.

They do what everyone else who loses their job does - polish up their CV and apply for jobs that are relevant to their skill set/qualifications.
Some of them will be headhunted.

It's a disgrace.

She also gets security detail for life.

Someone on this thread has already said that this isn’t actually true (the 90,000 pension) and yet people keep posting it and getting outraged about it.

Also, no matter how awful she was as PM (and believe me I do think she was awful), why on earth shouldn’t she be entitled to security. Two MPs have been murdered in the past eight years because of their role. I don’t think it’s unreasonable that ex-PMs are entitled to security.

No, that's not his plan. He has known for over a year now that his employer would step down at the election so was expecting it. He has worked with the MP for a very long time so redundancy isn't too bad. He has sort of reached the top of where he can possibly be within his office and another MP's staffing role wouldn't offer any progression as such. Also, he is paid really well and I'm not sure a different MP would offer the same pay either.

She lives in my neighbourhood. I see her rather often on walks, going to a local beauty salon etc and she is always followed by 2 security guys, who incidentally are much more polite than she is!

Not sure if you misunderstood my post but I said it’s the pension part which isn’t true, not the security entitlement.

Completely agree!

I get paid more than an MP by a small distance and DH is a FT teacher. Together that household income pays for our very typical, abosolutely-unfancy 3-bed semi-detached house in South, running 2 cars that are 10+ years old and paying for toddler's childcare bill! I certainly don't have endless streams of cash left over to cushion the blow if I lose my job and can't find another one!

The thought that an MP is overpaid on £90K is part of the problem with politics. It is a good salary in a normal job, but for the exposure and risk of being an MP (exposure to your family, risk of harm to you and family members, lack of long-term job security) it isn't actually much. Certainly the MPs that have previously worked in banking, legal etc. will have taken a substantial pay-cut to become an MP - and you can only do this if you come from wealth to begin with.

You're right I misunderstood! Sorry. 😂
Security is an interesting issue though. Considering how short her premiership was, it does seem rather excessive.
I could understand while she was still an MP, but now?

I have a feeling they are not made to drop their original job any more so many do something else as well as be an MP and that has caused contention too. Those MPs will probably just slot back in to those roles full time.

However, I don't suppose the majority have work that suits that sort of arrangement, so most will.now be looking for work or retiring, perhaps.

Some of the more vocal ones will be able to make a fair amount of money from becoming speakers at business events, etc. too.

Someone sent me this ;)

It's a bit different in Ireland though - absolutely loads of our TD's are from either teaching or a publican background (at one point it was over 60%) and the teachers have their job guaranteed to be kept open for them no matter how many years they are in the Dail - and a decent enough percentage are farmers so the publicans and farmers can keep their jobs while serving as a TD. (To be fair this is the country that had a dual mandate too until recent years - so you could keep a local and national seat and revert to one of you lost the other - we finally got that sorted though!)

MPs who earn £80k do have access to a lot more benefits than other £80k earners eg means to stay in London so I think accustomed to a nicer lifestyle than £80k salary would normally buy.
I imagine that a lot of networking went on alongside campaigning and a lot of ex MPs already have a fair idea of their next move rather than now have to start looking from scratch.
Our red wall Tory has served one term before being beaten and he really was so mediocre seeming I imagine £80k might have been a pay rise for him, but I think most people take a pay cut to become an MP. Pretty sure Keir Starmer would have earned more as the DPP than as a back bench MP for example.

Maybe Rees-Smug might get a job doing history programmes.
Horrible Histories might be quite appropriate.

Maybe some journo-researcher could look into how many, if any, unelected MPs ended up in pecuniary; I bagzee the idea so PM me if you want a great, aged, toothless researcher....

No-one is paying some one-term Tory thirty grand to give a talk unless they have some other skill/experience/notieriety.

I don't think he will have been online completing his UC application today.

No thank you! I want him to sink into obscurity now. He'll have plenty to do counting his money. Nanny will look after him.

Nick Clegg is reportedly earning 15 million a year at Facebook in a role his wiki page suggests he had no previous experience in.