How much should MPs be paid?

d123

MSE_Martin wrote: »

The problem with stripping away expenses is they need office staff and facilities to run a constituency surgery and research for parliament. So you can't.

Plus that way an MP for the Scottish highlands who has to commute to london each week - doesnt' get help compared to an inner london mp.

It's extremely easy to get around that, each MP gets a season ticket for standard class train seat from London to their constituency, and all office staff are employed by a central office at a set wage and then supplied to the MP.

Same for surgery offices, paid by central government at a mean average for the area of the constituency, if a an MP wants a more prestigious office he pays the difference from his salary.

Their current salary is more than enough.

Old_Wrinkly

For comparison :
What the IPSA pays its senior people ...
http://parliamentarystandards.org.uk/About Us/Documents/2013-01-13 - Board and Senior Team annual salary.pdf

[Deleted User]

DKLS wrote: »

I would suggest circa 100-150k with the vain hope that it attracted some talent but put in restrictions on private members interests.

I'd also want to see minimum attendance in parliament. The entire idea that your representative doesn't bother going to parliament is crazy. It's like a director not going to all his or hers meetings.

It's a highly responsible job, it should be paid well, expectation should be high, they should be given a set annual 'MPs expense budget' based around estimate costs for their travel ect. Go over it and their party foots the bill.

Most importantly though - no other jobs 'on the side' (or limited to their holidays)

Since MPs love statistics being published - i would also publish metrics on the MP's individual activities. How many times they've asked questions in parliament (or showed up). How many letters/faxs/emails they've responded to. How they've voted.

torbrex

As someone who earns the national minimum wage, I was surprised that this was not an option in the poll, if it had been then I would have voted for it.

There are only about 70/100 mp's that actually make any kind of contribution to the running of the county and if you were to believe the civil service then we could do away with them as well.

Gordon_the_Moron

MSE_Martin wrote: »

The problem with stripping away expenses is they need office staff and facilities to run a constituency surgery and research for parliament. So you can't.

Plus that way an MP for the Scottish highlands who has to commute to london each week - doesnt' get help compared to an inner london mp.

You can't strip away some essential expenses such as the ones you mention above (I disagree about travel, cut that out and increase salaries, the ones from the Scottish highlands travel more, living costs in inner London are higher, would balance out)

That said some of the expenses they can claim are ludicrous.

http://www.andrewpercy.org/your-voice/expenses

Look at the things he doesn't claim for? Should he be able to?

TheNoo

Based on the pay freeze implemented by the government on various government departments and the paltry 1% increase given to the armed forces. Ministers should lead by example and take the hit like the rest of us.

I personally think an MP's wage is a little low given what they (should) do, but are we not all in this together?

Naf

jackieblack wrote: »

Yeah, that'll work :cool:

I sense sarcasm!
Why wouldn't it work?

Naf

TheNoo wrote: »

I personally think an MP's wage is a little low given what they (should) do, but are we not all in this together?

Precisely; most people's wages are low compared to what they do.

stevemcol

70-80K or so is about right for the level of responsibility & service that we should reasonably expect from them. They absolutely should not be allowed to have a second job.

It makes me angry that they should believe they even have time for an additional part time job!

Being an MP should always be a vocation and not a high earning opportunity.

morg_monster

No-one ever said they didn't want to be an MP because the pay is too low? Maybe you never heard them but I bet there are loads of well qualified people - Doctors, Lawyers etc who would make excellent MPs but wouldn't want the pay cut.

The problem with offering an "average" UK salary and seeing being an MP as a vocation is that the end result will be MPs who can do it for "the love" of it because they have plenty of income from other sources - maybe not another job but inheritances, wealthy relatives, BTL portfolios, vast tracts of land, etc etc. We need teachers, bus drivers, people who know about normal life in the UK to take up the MP mantle as well as rich George Osborne types.