MPs set for above inflation payrise

hilts said:
Seriously is that possible.
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Like anything it’s a mixed bag. Rory Stewart is an example of an MP who is incredibly knowledgeable on a vast number of subjects. Nick Clegg up until a few weeks ago was heading up global affairs at Meta.

It’s easy to deride them all but clearly a lot of talented people go into politics and although some will be stealing a living many will be underpaid in relation to their abilities.
 
franksinatra said:
It is not a massive wage in fairness. No issue with it personally. It’s easy to say drop their wages etc but then the standard of candidates would drop even further.
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It’s not just the wage though. Can you imagine how thick your skin would have to be to cut out the amount of nonsense that is written and posted about you 24/7?

Your whole life is scrutinised forensically and any mistake means you’re career is over.

It might even be a good thing banning politicians using social media and just getting on with their jobs. Just do TV interviews from time to time.
 
I've always said, tie it directly to the median salary in the country. They get a pay rise when they get one for ordinary people. If everyone else's wages stagnate, then so do those of politicians.
 
Alan Harper's Tash said:
It’s not just the wage though. Can you imagine how thick your skin would have to be to cut out the amount of nonsense that is written and posted about you 24/7?

Your whole life is scrutinised forensically and any mistake means you’re career is over.

It might even be a good thing banning politicians using social media and just getting on with their jobs. Just do TV interviews from time to time.
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Well said. Now go and get your grammar sorted...
;-)
 
Alan Harper's Tash said:
It’s not just the wage though. Can you imagine how thick your skin would have to be to cut out the amount of nonsense that is written and posted about you 24/7?

Your whole life is scrutinised forensically and any mistake means you’re career is over.

It might even be a good thing banning politicians using social media and just getting on with their jobs. Just do TV interviews from time to time.
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Yes not a very nice job at all.

Dealing with the local loons during surgeries in your constituency. Lots of travel to and from London. Time away from family, as you say endless criticism on line and being the first and last point of contact for people to vent at, then when things are not going well in their life. A proper poisoned chalice.
 
franksinatra said:
Yes not a very nice job at all.

Dealing with the local loons during surgeries in your constituency. Lots of travel to and from London. Time away from family, as you say endless criticism on line and being the first and last point of contact for people to vent at, then when things are not going well in their life. A proper poisoned chalice.
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There aren't many jobs paying 90k a year that are cushy though, are there? Well maybe the ones that half of the well-connected politicians would be doing if they weren't in politics, but not so much for normal people.

I get that cabinet ministers might get a lot of stick. Is your average MP getting constant abuse from all sides? My local MPs have always been backbench, and as far as I can tell, they just get on with it pretty quietly and have teams of people to help them deal with constituency issues.
 
I'm With Stupid said:
There aren't many jobs paying 90k a year that are cushy though, are there? Well maybe the ones that half of the well-connected politicians would be doing if they weren't in politics, but not so much for normal people.

I get that cabinet ministers might get a lot of stick. Is your average MP getting constant abuse from all sides? My local MPs have always been backbench, and as far as I can tell, they just get on with it pretty quietly and have teams of people to help them deal with constituency issues.
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No I take your point, but it’s not a normal job. Only 650 positions across the whole country.

It’s a good wage but nothing extraordinary. Not much more than a headteacher would earn running a school.

If you live in a rural area it’s probably a cushy number compared to large urban areas. Like many public sector jobs.
 
The problem is those that would make the best MPs are very rarely attracted to the role. I’m not sure salary would fix it, it’s a mixed bag even with that when it comes to people’s motivations for being one in the first place.

Agree with the sentiment of paying more and restricting second jobs though just to try and stop conflicts of interest.
 
I'm With Stupid said:
There aren't many jobs paying 90k a year that are cushy though, are there? Well maybe the ones that half of the well-connected politicians would be doing if they weren't in politics, but not so much for normal people.

I get that cabinet ministers might get a lot of stick. Is your average MP getting constant abuse from all sides? My local MPs have always been backbench, and as far as I can tell, they just get on with it pretty quietly and have teams of people to help them deal with constituency issues.
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The two MPs murdered in recent years were both backbenchers and not particularly high profile. They can quite easily disconnect from social media, of course, but discourtesy and malevolence are as much a threat in the physical world, too.

I think an MEP still earns slightly more than an MP, and about three quarters of them still have second jobs, at least. Long advocated that they should all be paid much more, be prevented from taking second jobs, and be granted a salary (decreasing annually) for three years after their service is ended. The temptation to serve lobby groups over those whom they should be representing is just too great, and the speed at which gamekeeper becomes poacher is embarrassing.
 
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