MPs' salaries pass £65,000 after 1.5% rise

[Seatherny]

Just read it on the radio.

A backbench MP’s basic salary is currently £64,766. The pay rise will take that to £65,737.

The pay deal was confirmed as MPs voted (btw this includes CONSERVATIES AND LIB DEMS) to reform the way the Commons works, giving backbenchers more power over parliamentary business and replacing the term “chairman” with “chair.”

The pay rise has not yet been formally put to MPs, who spent Thursday voting on changes to Commons rules.

A spokesman for Speaker John Bercow confirmed that he was sent a letter by the SSRB’s chairman Bill Cockburn but said Mr Bercow was powerless to stop the pay rise coming in.

‘His only role in all this is opening the envelope’.

The bloody MP's should have a maximum salary of £35,000 exc expenses which should only cover travel, office etc. Not bloody food "/ and TV's.

[-:Undertaker:-]

They deserve it lets be honest, I mean after we (the nasty public) took away their expenses they must be struggling to scrape a living on their £60k+ salaries. Anyway back to the real world; the Speaker John Bercow who was elected to 'clean up parliament' has clearly failed and we pretty much knew he would because he also was involved in expenses fiddling. The sooner he (looks likely now with last weeks events) is thrown out and the rest of them at the General Election the better. Then it'll be off to the EU to recieve fantastic pay + golden plated pensions (ontop of the ones they already have gained from being MPs). The cycle has no end for these corrupt cretins.

[Seatherny]

Problem is they vote. Obviously they will always vote in their own favour.

They should have a fixed salary. Their jobs arent exactly hard. Our local MP just gets his photo taken and puts it through our door.
If they want the job, they should take it because they want to make a change. Right now they do it because of that healthy salary.

[Alkaz]

MP's are to give the people or their towns a voice in parlament, if they were really in it to give us a voice then why do they seem to keep ignoring 'us'. Dont give them what they want, give us what we want and perhaps a decent honest MP from each town will actualyl come forward to do us some good for a change?

[-:Undertaker:-]

Problem is they vote. Obviously they will always vote in their own favour.

They should have a fixed salary. Their jobs arent exactly hard. Our local MP just gets his photo taken and puts it through our door.
If they want the job, they should take it because they want to make a change. Right now they do it because of that healthy salary.

The problem is that nowadays we have career politicians who have never done a real days work in their life and only aim to better themselves (the likes of Tony Blair & David Cameron as prime examples). The voting point is totally correct aswell and thats another reason why major issues in this country aswell as lower down issues should be decided via referendum and not by the ruling elite, who are totally out of touch as shown by yet another disgusting self-reward they have given themselves.

[Seatherny]

The problem is that nowadays we have career politicians who have never done a real days work in their life and only aim to better themselves (the likes of Tony Blair & David Cameron as prime examples). The voting point is totally correct aswell and thats another reason why major issues in this country aswell as lower down issues should be decided via referendum and not by the ruling elite, who are totally out of touch as shown by yet another disgusting self-reward they have given themselves.

Firemen and Police put their lives at risk to save others and get paid peanuts. MP's show their faces, get a photo take and have everything paid for them and get a huge salary. I don't think they spend much of their salary as they don't need to.

Sounds about right to me.

[Jordy]

To be fair, I heard that this pay rise is going to be categorically rejected so I don't really see this as significant. Perhaps a sign that they are getting with the times finally.

You both do raise some interesting points about their salary and career politicians though, I can't say I've formed an opinion on it yet though.

[kk.]

Considering CPI (inflation) was roughly 1.5% for the whole of last year, I'm more than fine with them having a pay rise. You wouldn't like to be earning less than you were a year ago would you...

[-:Undertaker:-]

Considering CPI (inflation) was roughly 1.5% for the whole of last year, I'm more than fine with them having a pay rise. You wouldn't like to be earning less than you were a year ago would you...

Well considering they (over half) fiddled expenses and were on £60k+ to begin with, I dont think what they like and dislike really matters that much.

[kk.]

Well considering they (over half) fiddled expenses and were on £60k+ to begin with, I dont think what they like and dislike really matters that much.
Yes ok, the expenses scandal was bad, but Thats just basically saying that half the population would hav done exactly the same in there situation. And what about the other half too who hadnt fiddled with them, do they deserve a pay cut? Er, no.

[Catzsy]

It is an important job with not a huge reward really. The person in charge of my local council gets 150k. As far as expenses go the system was flawed and I don't know anybody who wouldn't take advantage if they were being signed off - I am talking about 'legitimate' expenses here not the ones claimed by the mps who are being prosecuted. The worst parasites in this country are the Fat Cats who do not actually pay much tax and take advantage of loop holes within the system or just use their offshore accounts.

[Seatherny]

It is an important job with not a huge reward really. The person in charge of my local council gets 150k. As far as expenses go the system was flawed and I don't know anybody who wouldn't take advantage if they were being signed off - I am talking about 'legitimate' expenses here not the ones claimed by the mps who are being prosecuted. The worst parasites in this country are the Fat Cats who do not actually pay much tax and take advantage of loop holes within the system or just use their offshore accounts.

Obviously people would do what the MP's did with expenses, most would - so I agree with you and kk.

However, how is it an important job? For what they do, they don't deserve nearly £67,000 and half their expenses paid for.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Yes ok, the expenses scandal was bad, but Thats just basically saying that half the population would hav done exactly the same in there situation. And what about the other half too who hadnt fiddled with them, do they deserve a pay cut? Er, no.

I wouldn't do the same;- if you stand for public office theres a little thing you are supposed to have which is otherwise known as morals. As for the other half, i'm pretty sure they can get by fine on £60k+ a year which is more than two families combined would earn in a year.


It is an important job with not a huge reward really. The person in charge of my local council gets 150k. As far as expenses go the system was flawed and I don't know anybody who wouldn't take advantage if they were being signed off - I am talking about 'legitimate' expenses here not the ones claimed by the mps who are being prosecuted. The worst parasites in this country are the Fat Cats who do not actually pay much tax and take advantage of loop holes within the system or just use their offshore accounts.

£60k+ is a very good reward and especially considering politics isnt supposed to be about rewarding yourself, its supposed to be about serving your electorate. As for taking advantage, many did not take advantage and well done to them because they stand by their morals. If you personally would have exploted the system then its all the more reason to never stand for public office because with a frame of mind like that, you'd be unfit for office as would anybody else with that same view.

On the fat cats, well thats another issue and while we can tackle that, we dont need more fat cats also wringing the system especially the ones who pass the laws and legislation.

[Catzsy]

Obviously people would do what the MP's did with expenses, most would - so I agree with you and kk.

However, how is it an important job? For what they do, they don't deserve nearly £67,000 and half their expenses paid for.

Because they are our representatives that pass laws for our country? That's pretty important. Well I do think that their salary is not excessive considering how much time they have to spend away from home but hopefully the expenses will sorted by now.
This is a comparable table of some of the earnings of different professions.

Corporate Managers And Senior Officials 85,943
Medical practitioners 78,366
Senior officials in national government 68,283
Brokers 61,117
Health Professionals 60,866
Health professionals 60,866
Air traffic controllers 60,548
Financial managers and chartered secretaries 58,295
Senior officials in local government 55,921
Police officers (inspectors and above) 53,937
IT strategy and planning professionals 50,143
Solicitors and lawyers, judges and coroners 48,908
Legal Professionals 47,411
Functional Managers 46,784
Information and communication technology managers 46,710
Research and development managers 46,297
Marketing and sales managers 45,000
Public service administrative professionals 44,955
Purchasing managers 44,678
Protective Service Officers 44,301
Higher education teaching professionals 43,757
Electrical engineers 42,823
Transport Associate Professionals 42,156
Hospital and health service managers 41,746
Managers in construction 41,562
Physicists, geologists and meteorologists 41,388
Financial institution managers 41,315
Broadcasting associate professionals 41,222
Personnel, training and industrial relations managers 41,146
Production Managers 41,000
Management consultants, actuaries, economists and statisticians 40,808
Train drivers 40,337
Production, works and maintenance managers 40,334
Pharmacists/pharmacologists 39,807
Pharmacy managers 39,500
Management accountants 39,370
Corporate managers 39,101
Advertising and public relations managers 38,890
Police officers (sergeant and below) 38,744
Senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services 38,678
Business And Statistical Professionals 38,621
Information And Communication Technology Professionals 38,273
Mechanical engineers 38,190
Architects 38,149
Coal mine operatives 37,943
Chartered surveyors (not quantity surveyors) 37,475
Education officers, school inspectors 37,326
Science and technology professionals 37,134
Medical radiographers 37,105
Engineering professionals n.e.c. 36,859
Architects, Town Planners, Surveyors 36,826
Paramedics 36,780
Chartered and certified accountants 36,580
Civil engineers 36,549
Quantity surveyors 36,505
Quality assurance managers 36,491
Recycling and refuse disposal managers 36,416
Engineering Professionals 36,365
Finance and investment analysts/advisers 36,357
Secondary education teaching professionals 36,243
Software professionals 36,173
Special needs education teaching professionals 36,107
Social services managers 35,928
Dancers and choreographers 35,619
Chemists 35,576
Health And Social Services Managers 35,481
Design and development engineers 35,430
Science Professionals 35,428
Business and public service professionals 35,428
Protective Service Occupations 35,204
Protective service occupations 35,204
Teaching Professionals 35,121
Energy plant operatives 35,039
Scientific researchers 34,944
Teaching and research professionals 34,861
Transport and distribution managers 34,839
Quality And Customer Care Managers 34,748
Town planners 34,278
Biological scientists and biochemists 34,264
Natural environment and conservation managers 34,204
Senior officials of special interest organisations 34,181
Managers and proprietors in other services n.e.c. 34,014
Property, housing and land managers 33,892
Midwives 33,875
Primary and nursery education teaching professionals 33,743
Financial and accounting technicians 33,737
Financial Institution And Office Managers 33,612

[Seatherny]

Because they are our representatives that pass laws for our country? That's pretty important. Well I do think that their salary is not excessive considering how much time they have to spend away from home but hopefully the expenses will sorted by now.
This is a comparable table of some of the earnings of different professions.

They vote. If they want to be known then they come up with laws.
Their salary is wayy too much.
Their second homes: paid for
Their offices: paid for
Their staff: paid for
Everything to do with office and second home: paid for

They don't need £66+k salary.

[-:Undertaker:-]

In response to Rosies post; a lot of them job roles you have posted are via private business and therefore to not put a burden on the taxpayer, MPs and civil servants on the other hand do.

[Catzsy]

They vote. If they want to be known then they come up with laws.
Their salary is wayy too much.
Their second homes: paid for
Their offices: paid for
Their staff: paid for
Everything to do with office and second home: paid for

They don't need £66+k salary.

Well I don't think it's a huge amount for what they should be doing so we will have to agree to disagree on that one.:D


In response to Rosies post; a lot of them job roles you have posted are via private business and therefore to not put a burden on the taxpayer, MPs and civil servants on the other hand do.

Actually, almost without exception people from those professions are employed by the public as well as the private sector and I am sure lots of them do a good job. To say they are a burdon on the tax payer is somewhat simplistic. When you are talking about making sure taxpayers money isn't wasted then that's a different issue where you may have a point.

[Bun]

give them 100k p/a and be done with it. give them digs in london for when they're down and with 100k a year they can buy whatever else they need. stops the need for osme of them having other jobs, lets them focus on being an MP.

[Catzsy]

I don't why they don't use one of those huge blocks in Canary Wharf as apartments for them to book when they need too. The places are just left standing.

[Jordy]

Hmm I think £60k is a reasonable wage after looking into it. If Politics wants to attract the intelligent people from the City & Lawyers then it has to have a reasonable wage. Most politicians could make a lot more money in the City or as a lawyer but £60k is a reasonable enough wage, quite a bit less than they could be earning but enough to make it an attractive career move.

Any less would just be silly, if they were paid £40k for example, they'd be getting as much as train drivers, when really, we want MPs to be very intelligent people who are incharge of creating our countries laws.

[GommeInc]

That's alot for what is effectively a glorified public servant. No more than £40,000 a year would be a wiser move, for what is effectively doing not alot (seeing as MPs have people behind them doing all the leg work, and their current attitude towards the general public is quite disgraceful). Although the good ones didn't fiddle with their expensives, they should of acted on this knowledge, making it known that there are flaws, but unfortunately they didn't :/

[alexxxxx]

i think £60k is probably justified.

[dbgtz]

At a point where taxes and stuff are rising and we still can't afford to live like this and have debt, this is ridculous. - http://consumerchampion.spaces.live.com/ that's what will rise. There's no point cutting in certain places and just moving it over, stoooooooooopid. As said before most families don't reach that on both parents salaries so why should they get more in just one persons paycheck when to me it seems like an easy as job, I mean seriously what do you do that's worth £60k+ a year?

[Adamm]

Considering CPI (inflation) was roughly 1.5% for the whole of last year, I'm more than fine with them having a pay rise. You wouldn't like to be earning less than you were a year ago would you...
Problem is, with my pay not increasing with inflation - I am earning less than I was the previous year. Every year.

[DJ-Ains.T]

I still think the government in this country sucks. I also think that the house of commons is full of old men shouting at each other.

When they start talking politely, I'll take into consideration that they deserve a payrise, until then, they do not need this payrise at all.

[Nixt]

Problem is, with my pay not increasing with inflation - I am earning less than I was the previous year. Every year.

Wow what job do you do? Even when I worked in retail my pay rose with inflation :s.

[LuketheDuke]

That pay sounds about right, lot of people go on about most MPs having people running around after them behind the scenes but for most ordinary MPs its a lot of graft on their part.

[Adamm]

Wow what job do you do? Even when I worked in retail my pay rose with inflation :s.
Aha.

I do work in retail, my pay hasn't rised with inflation since I've been there and neither has my dad's or mother's who are both skilled workers.