Why do MPs get subsidised food?

[IShotTheDeputyItWasMe]

Ok, if they are travelling, they should not be out of pocket. Like many workers, they should be able to claim reasonable expenses depending how long they are away on work trips etc.

However, I've never known any pubpic sector workplace put alcohol on expenses as standard. I've also never known any workplace to pay for their workers lunches when they are in their normal place of work.

Some companies may run a subsidised canteen but that will come put of the company profits, not the public purse.

Basically, why do we pay to subsidise food and then pay again to cover unreasonable food costs?

Many of them 'employ' family members out of their expenses, so double bubble.

They also get paid to work on behalf of lobbying companies (can you imagine a civil servant being able to do that!). There was one guy in the last Government who stepped down as a Minister because he could get way more from his lobbying work

The Parliamentary Cafe's and restaurants are not just about the MP's - there's a large estate of people who work there - often late in to the night.

There is nothing opened at 1 am when these people are on a break they usually have to trail their sad sad tuna sandwiches from home, I know my Dc do when they work nights,

The bars, cafes and restaurants serve about 15000 staff, contractors, the media etc plus visitors, not just MPs.

They are “staff canteen” slightly cheaper than London commercial prices in bars/restaurants. It would probably be cheaper to get a meal deal from the Tesco Express across the road than a sandwich and Coke at the HoP 😂 Some of the venues make a profit, others a loss. The costs come that make them unprofitable come from keeping them open the irregular/late hours.

If only NHS workers could take generous freebies from lobbying pharmaceutical companies like they do in America.

Oh and accept seats on their boards after they have finished working for the NHS.

Still not sure why this is okay for MPs. It is very difficult to become an MP. It is a highly gatekept role, not really related to competence or suitability in any way but more down to having free time and money to spend working for the party and convincing others to nominate them for office.

If we actually appointed MPs like other jobs, there would be a mammoth list of job requirements/person specifications , DBS, advanced vetting, actual useful experience required and about 10 different assessment centres/interviews etc. (including some sort of Krypton factor type thing that would be televised for public entertainment)

Yes, and not much was done about. Maybe the media should train their lenses in that direction.

Between spending lots of time away from your family, working all hours, suffering a torrent of abuse from the public and the obvious security issues, as well as probably not actually getting paid that much relative to other jobs that have similar risks/effort in London and the fact that you can lose your job every 5 years then it is probably the work afterwards that is the only thing that makes the job worthwhile.

You maybe have a point about what MPs do after the job. But complaining about subsidised meals for them is just petty IMO.

@KnickerFolder If they're unprofitable because of the hours , then like the NHS canteens they can shut at 7, especially the bars.

They can have what the NHS have - large machines filled with old sandwiches, crips, flapjacks and other 'healthy snacks' to sustain them at high prices.

Biggest bunch of freedloaders

So do many, many other people. I'm sure no one would object to MPs having access to a canteen but they need to be paying for anything they purchase out of their own pocket, just as the general working public have to do.

@GasPanic The thing that is meant to make the job worthwile is the fact you are working for your country - it is PUBLIC SERVICE.

Not freebies, not subsidised food or socialising, or a nice little job afterwards in lobbying.

They need to start serving and stop helping themselves.

Couldn't you say that about any public service job though ?

Unfortunately love of the country doesn't pay the bills and is a luxury a lot of people can't afford.

So we make MPs work less lucrative, the only people that will really want to do the job are people already wealthy or ones that don't have any financial responsibilities.

The Houses of Parliament, AKA the cheapest pub in the country.

Actually I think if it were less lucrative we would see fewer independently wealthy people in politics.

Most are only there for the money - if not now, then later.

I mean why do they need the pub at work?

There's no "free" food in Parliament. As others have said, the prices are roughly comparable to a staff canteen in other offices. I usually pay between £3-7 for a hot canteen lunch in Parliament.

And MPs only make up a small fraction of people who work in Parliament - about 10% I think? Most of the people using the canteen are not MPs and are paid far less!

I'm not saying there isn't a debate to be had about how we remunerate MPs (personally I think they are actually underpaid and their stress levels, hours worked and compromises to home/ family life mean you couldn't pay me enough to do their job). But that's for another day!

We could try that and see who turns up.

I also forgot the bit about how how for the more well known ones your private life becomes public and you can't even have a disagreement with your partner behind closed doors without it being splashed all over the news. And any choices you make re your kids will be taken apart if they don't match up with the party line.

As far as I can tell the job for the more famous ones is about as intrusive as being a pop star. With about 1/10th of the financial reward and the added bonus of the public moaning endlessly about the fact you might get a cheap burger or a plane flight somewhere.

I’m not sure the bars make a loss 😂

I’m sure MPs would manage just fine with Deliveroo, it would be everyone else working long antisocial hours who had to make do with curled up sandwiches.

@KnickerFolder Are you saying the MPs wouldn't spring for Deliveroo for their staff?

At least in the NHS when you order in, everyone gets the option.

Otherwise it's back to sustaining yourself on the curled up sandwiches.

@GasPanic You make good points about the impact to the family and the more than public nature of MPs who are well know. I think that is a very real cost that I hadn't fully considered.

I have no problem with people like cleaners and maintenance staff having access to subsidised food and drinks as Central London prices are expensive and they will be on low wages but subsidised alcohol as if it were some student union is taking the piss.

Underpaid?!?! The basic salary is £91,346 plus expenses. My heart bleeds for the poor souls.

I was just coming on to say the same as @AlmahartWe have to provide our own teaspoons to make a cuppa with the coffee and milk we’ve lugged in ourselves. It’s disgraceful the expenses they can claim. It really needs to stop.

If only other people could have a salary of 94 thousand and perks on top They don't even have to turn up in parliament or give people appointments A lot of people would love their lifestyle And didn't Rachel say cuts have to be made make their wage more reasonable

No of course they don't! There's a budget for their constituency office. Of course they don't pay their staffs salaries 😂

People on shift work are often working 12 hour shifts though, sometimes plus overtime, and they do this every week.