They are at it again, those verbose MPs along with their pals in the House of Lords.
Patrick McCormack (pictured) says that MPs' salaries should be doubled - from £64,766 to more than £130,000- in return for scrapping their controversial second homes allowances.
Douglas Hogg, that bad mannered, arrogant Tory, also called for MPs to be given six figure salaries with "appropriate expenses." He said their pay had fallen so "in absolute and relative terms" that it was insufficient to support the lifestyle "to which most professional and business classes aspire."
These men are serious in their comments. They honestly consider themselves worth such sums of money. They go to the 'office' a maximum of 165 days a year, they are presently receiving salaries which take them into the top 10% in the country and they have one of the best pension schemes in the country too. Yet they consider they are presently underpaid.
They can't even agree a reasonable expenses system for themselves so what hope do we have of them taking sensible decisions concerning matters of national interest.
There is never a shortage of candidates for the job so I suggest, if they don't feel well paid, they move onto other work outside the Westminster bubble.
In the meantime why don't we insist that MPs salaries are in line with military officers. New MPs could start on OFT level 1 paying an annual sum of £31,188.36p which increases by annual increments. Now surely there's nothing fairer than that. After all, isn't it our MPs who set the salaries of the military? Iain Dale has results of a poll he undertook on MPs' pay. Surprising results it shows but I am sure it is not in line with general public opinion.
If we had a more sensible salary scale then we may attract more dedicated people into politics. The nonsense spoken about the present salary not being enough to attract people of 'quality' is just that - nonsense.
As for Scotland, we have 59 MPs and 129 MSPs plus our MEPs and hundreds of councillors. We must be the most over-represented country in Europe. Time to think how we would structure our political representation for an independent Scotland.
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I always remember some MPS (from all parties)interviewed about their salaries.
And one of the Torys said his constituents were always in his thoughts 24/7 and never had moments rest when they weren't.
Sir Julian Critchley(another Tory MP who I quite liked)turned to him and said we are going to have to make you our shop steward Talking like that.
Made me laugh was a long time ago makes me laugh now.
Glad to know a tory once brought a smile to your face Niko - even if it was years ago. :)
He even got me to read a Shropshire Lad 'years ago'
When I was one-and-twenty
by A.E. Housman
When I was one-and-twenty
I heard a wise man say,
‘Give crowns and pounds and guineas
But not your heart away;
Give pearls away and rubies
But keep your fancy free.’
But I was one-and-twenty,
No use to talk to me.
When I was one-and-twenty
I heard him say again,
‘The heart out of the bosom
Was never given in vain;
’Tis paid with sighs a plenty
And sold for endless rue.’
And I am two-and-twenty,
And oh, ’tis true, ’tis true.
LOL... Great poem Niko.
Good piece SR. I've said time and again that until these people live like the rest of us, with all the constraints that the rest of us have, they will simply never be able to understand how things work.
They set their own salaries and their own pensions; they work the hours they choose; they start at full salary so they have nothing to work for; they appoint their own staff without having to advertise and do proper selection; there are no annual reviews for them or their staff. And in London they work in a Royal Palace, unfetterd by petty rules and regulations that the rest of us have to live with.
There are almost as many of them as there were when there was an empire to run and no European Parliament or Celtic Parliaments/Assemblies.
And finally there are in excess of 700 Senators, where the US can manage with 100.
Madness.
One interesting comparison from my own experience which might be of interest to you to head off some of these parliamentary arguments. I have in mind the particular case that London is an expensive city, and hence, in the interests of an egalitarian treatment of MPs from different backgrounds - a hefty slap of banknotes is needed to paper away the expense of capital-living.
To shift to another slice of the population who benefit from state-involvement in sponsoring education, take graduate students, working on long-term research degrees (three-year PhDs or what have you). Getting graduate scholarships is generally pretty darn difficult.
However, if you are lucky enough to be plucked from out the cohort of talented graduates, you'll receive funding to the tune of your tuition fees as well as an untaxed stipend for living costs etcetera. I know that for the Arts and Humanities Research Council, for doctoral students this amounts to about £13,000 a year at present. This isn't "income" for tax purposes, however, and you don't have an employer - hence, to generate the equivalent salary value, you'd have to factor in NI and taxes.
Given housing costs, doctoral candidates in London receive a sort of "London allowance", upping their stipend to £15,000-odd a year.
Couple of thousand quid extra good enough for a student, with an eye to equality, presumably the same applies to Westminster-located tribunes? No? You do surprise me...
Thanks for the poem Niko. Long time since I heard it.
Madness indeed Tris and that's part of the reason the country's in a mess. Too many representatives and nobody to take responsibility.
When I was younger I always wondered at the 'London weighing allowance' Lallands but of course over the years housing costs there have increased radically. Is it called a weighing allowance these days?
I've known a couple of graduates who have done long term PhDs and although they we're well off they managed. Then of course they were living and studying in Dundee not London and never complained about their funding. Perhaps both were aware they would make a generous salary once they completed their qualifications.
Dear All
Patrick Cormack adds weight to the discussion, pity most of it is round the waist!
£130k a year; I volunteer if anyone will let me stand.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
Count me in too George. For that money I'd even pay for my own digs.
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