to think that really £1,450 pcm is not an unreasonable sum to expect an MP to spend on a flat?

[LadyBiscuit]

This is the new plan to stop the second homes expenses scandal - each MP gets a fixed amount to spend. There was an article in the paper today saying that this would put women with children off becoming MPs because you can only afford a horrid little 1 bed on that sort of money. What world are they living in? Given you can rent a very nice 3 bedroom flat for that amount in East Dulwich or Wandsworth so hardly grim sink estates, it's not a massive hardship is it? Christ, that's more than most people have for one home, no matter about a pied a terre!

alouiseg, i haven't noticed that there's such a huge shortage of candidates. that argument leads to the most ludicrous upward spiral and increasing inequality and sequestering of the professional class from other peoples' lives. I know that Lord Young said 20 years ago that he couldn't possibly live on £80K a year but I really don't care that Lord Young is no longer in the Commons.

Well we're hardly at the top are we? The Mep's have that one covered......closely followed by the Italians. It must be all that Armani and Prada they need.

Well no we're not at the top but it's not at the low end either. And given the parlous state our economy is in, I don't feel terribly sorry for them.

There is an enormous shortage of candidates who have been a success in their chosen profession and reached the pinnacle of their career!

How many top business people turn to politics for a fresh challenge? It's generally the other way round, the inept politicians cut their teeth on trying to run the country then get a tasty little directorship on the board of a ftse company who fancies a bit of political influence!

Asking people who are extremely good at their job to take a pay cut to help run the country just isn't workable.

I would be interested to know if many of those top execs would want to be MPs even if they were paid £1m a year (and tbh that's what you'd have to pay to match really senior business salaries and I can't see the country wearing that)

Probably be cheaper than piddling around with allowances and enquiries and investigations.

I expect some really decent candidates would be tempted by that and then we could really expect some pioneering policy making and strong leadership.

I often think about having a fantasy cabinet but quite a lot of the people i would like to see run UK Plc are dead!

I suspect there are some MPs who died some time ago, only no one's noticed ...

That would explain the stench!

A lot of MPs used to rent or own flats/houses in Pimlico just down the road from Parliament when I lived there. It really is a very small amount for that area. Most will have to rent much further out and will still struggle to find a place big enough for a family.

It will favour MPs who have family wealth and have a house/flat already in London.

The solution is a secure block in my view that MPs have a right to live in free of charge.

Was it Dolphin Square???

No I didnt live there. Lots of MPs did though.

I meant was it Dolphin Square that the MP's lived at.

It would not be a bad thing for those representative of our population...those voting and ruling on matters that affect us all to at least live in the same world. Why the need for great reward when the vast majority of us do not have more than one home or our lunches and bus fare paid for?

If you are for the people then it is only right that one is of the people and not superior in either attitude or financial gain.

What I think in reality will happen is MPs will buy a house in London and then just use their rent allowance to rent a small flat/house in their constituency for occassional use. Most of the time they will live in London. I am sure their base salaries wil rise to compensate too.

Personally, if I were an MP I do not think I could live with my family in London in a flat costing just £1450 pcm. I used to live in Pimlico in a large family sized flat with 2 beds that was more exensive than that 10 years ago.

Why dont they just get a 'halls of residence' type setup nearby? With a shared TV room so they can fight over newsnight.

Because we won't get the calibre of people needed.

Pay peanuts, get monkeys............

There's a middle road between hals of resi and country piles though

Surely a nice block of high quality flats owned by the nation would be a better deal all round?

But we have got monkeys - just one's that enjoy caviar on toast and want to upgrade from the monkey pen to an artfully decorated pied a terre in Barnes.

I have rather an inside track on the HoC but apart from Committees, you really don't need to be there on a Monday or a Friday. Plus I realised I was talking about teachers' holidays earlier - Parliament sits for 150 days a year. Funnily enough, coinciding exactly with private schools holidays plus a bit.

I have no evidence to suggest that we will get a better class of MPs if we pay them more but it's worth a go. I'd want to see some evidence that they would actually get some decent candidates with life experience before giving them all a blanket pay rise though. How about pay which is aligned to skills and experience? I'm sure that works in the real world ...

Pay much mroe and you will get mroe career poli types raised for that aim rather than fidning a love of community politics etc

I think it is probably pitched about right; enough to live a nice life without it nturning into any more of a club than it already is

I don't think you should be allowed to stand without a set time in local politics as a councillor or the like

Oh and don't let's forget the outside interests. Oliver Letwin (who I used to work for) is still employed by NM Rothschild one day a week and earns around £70k a year for that. He is rich as Croesus anyway from what I remember