Despicable....

[Onelife]

conservatives are lining their pockets again.

How any of their MPs dare show their faces after accepting the independent review body pay increase recommendation of 10% defies all common decency. Having nearly chocked on my bake beans on toast this evening he made it perfectly clear he won't be making any U-turns on this recommendation...Despicable man!!

Yes, and I am bloody angry... how dare they take a pay increase when they refused to accept the independent recommendation for NHS staff wage increase? and indeed other public sector workers.

Where's towny I want a word with him

[towny44]

Keefy, if you want honest politicians, of which ever party, who won't be tempted to fiddle their expenses, then you have to pay them a fair wage, and if you think £80,000 is way too much for them to be paid then I recommend you try the alternative, which is probably anarchy. You and Batty would likely do well under such a regime.

[oldbluefox]

Not the most tactful of decisions which is incidentally cross party when other public sector workers are restricted to a 1% increase for the next four years. But the politicians have always had the 'one rule for them, one rule for us' policy. They always look after themselves. Cut the number of MPs and pay them more. There are far too many of them anyway.

[Onelife]

Hi Towny

What a sad affair when we have come to a point where we have to pay MPs twice the amount that we pay most nurses and teachers just so they will keep their hands out of the till...bloody hell, next you'll be wanting to give them free travel and meal vouchers.

Regards

Keith

Spot on Foxy

And if you are going to pay few more then they should get better qualified for the job...I've never understood how you can go from one job to a completely different job then expect to make the decisions about something you know nowt about.

[Not so ancient mariner]

Fortunately, none of them has more than a 5 year contract.

[Frank Manning]

I think I would look at the voting patterns on this before I blamed Cameron. He is becoming everyone's (with a gripe) fall guy. The Right hate him because he is too left. The Far Left hate everyone. We middle of the road people are ignored by everyone until it comes to the ballot box. Then they cannot ignore us any longer.

[Onelife]

You've got good grasp of how our political system works Frank

[oldbluefox]

I think I would look at the voting patterns on this before I blamed Cameron. He is becoming everyone's (with a gripe) fall guy. The Right hate him because he is too left. The Far Left hate everyone. We middle of the road people are ignored by everyone until it comes to the ballot box. Then they cannot ignore us any longer.

Succinct. Got it in one!!

[Onelife]

Hi towny,

Thinking about it Yes l do think they get paid to much, especially if you compare their wages against nurses who have the lives of their patient in their hands not to mention teachers who have our childrens education and firemen who put their lives on the line.

If the Goverment MPs are happy to accept £84 k a year for swanning up to London while their office staff dispatch 'didn't l do well' constituency letters round to all and sundrie then they should at least have the moral compass to refuse this pay increase until such time that this crap Goverment have honoured the pay recommendation agreeded to other professions by their independent pay review body.

I have just read that some MPs are donating their pay increase to charity....well good on them and shame on those who don't follow suit.

Regards

Keith

[Mervyn and Trish]

On the surface yes I agree it is not a great time for this to happen and I understand the anger. However, in the past we, the public egged on by the media, or vice versa, demanded an end to the system where MP's decided their own pay, and the establishment of an independent pay body. It is that body, which we demanded, that has come up with the current deal, not any MP or any party.

Plus, conscious of the past scandals around expenses and the generous MP pensions, the aforementioned pay body has adjusted pay, pensions and expenses. MP's will get more basic pay, less expenses and less generous pensions. Overall they will be no better off, and the cost to the public is nil as the whole deal is cost neutral. And once the current furore blows over the system will be more transparent and accountable.

As I said at the start it feels wrong, but it's what we asked for.

[towny44]

Hi towny,

Thinking about it Yes l do think they get paid to much, especially if you compare their wages against nurses who have the lives of their patient in their hands not to mention teachers who have our childrens education and firemen who put their lives on the line.
Regards

Keith

Keith, methinks thou doth exagerate too much, although nurses and teachers do a good job, IMO they don't require the same qualities that are needed to be govt. ministers.
However I do agree with Foxy there are far too many of them, especially in Scotland, we only really need enough MP's to form an adequate Govt. and opposition front bench. Maybe the current local MP's agents, or similar, could take on the role of looking after constituents grievances.

[oldbluefox]

Fewer MPs, much better pay BUT they become full time. Too many see their rôle as part time after they have fulfilled their consultancy and other roles.
Am I correct in thinking they are classed as self employed and can therefore employ creative accountants for tax purposes. If so they can also go PAYE like the rest of us.

[ITWA Travel Writer]

Who's paying the independent pay body?

[Mervyn and Trish]

The independent, independent pay body, body! Seemples

[oldbluefox]

Don't get me on about quangos. I've enough to keep me going with Onelife's Bullying and Despicable threads. It's all his fault!!!

[Dark Knight]

2 things

Firstly: Towny do not include me in the same political breath as Comrade Onelife, as you have no idea of my political leanings or for who and how I vote

secondly: Keefy stop bloody moaning about the Government, they won a democratic election and now have a majority in the House, all be it a slim one, if you were on that sort of money and got a 10% pay rise you would be happy as a pig in sh*t.

[Silver_Shiney]

Not the most tactful of decisions which is incidentally cross party when other public sector workers are restricted to a 1% increase for the next four years. But the politicians have always had the 'one rule for them, one rule for us' policy. They always look after themselves. Cut the number of MPs and pay them more. There are far too many of them anyway.

Hypocritical was the word that came to my mind...

[towny44]

2 things

Firstly: Towny do not include me in the same political breath as Comrade Onelife, as you have no idea of my political leanings or for who and how I vote

secondly: Keefy stop bl**dy moaning about the Government, they won a democratic election and now have a majority in the House, all be it a slim one, if you were on that sort of money and got a 10% pay rise you would be happy as a pig in sh*t.

Sorry Kev but I wasn't comparing you politically, just that both of you could pick a fight in an empty room, so anarchy seemed a good fit.

[Dark Knight]

Oh that's okay then, Towny

Keefy lard a*se prefers telephone boxes to start arguments in

[Mervyn and Trish]

2 things

Firstly: Towny do not include me in the same political breath as Comrade Onelife, as you have no idea of my political leanings or for who and how I vote

secondly: Keefy stop bl**dy moaning about the Government, they won a democratic election and now have a majority in the House, all be it a slim one, if you were on that sort of money and got a 10% pay rise you would be happy as a pig in sh*t.

Sorry Kev but I wasn't comparing you politically, just that both of you could pick a fight in an empty room, so anarchy seemed a good fit.

He should be at home on his latest tacky cruise then....

[Dark Knight]

I am not going on Pando , Merv, too many ten bob millionaires and cruise snobs for my taste

[Mervyn and Trish]

I am not going on Pando , Merv, too many ten bob millionaires and cruise snobs for my taste

Isn't you and taste in one sentence one of those grammatical thingies? An oxymoron or summat?

[Dark Knight]

Tautology, is the word you comprehensive school education is scrabbling for

[ITWA Travel Writer]

they won a democratic election

And what's democratic about the way we vote in this principality?

[Dark Knight]

mobile scribbler
which principality? you are beholden to the economic might of England and as such, you will do as you are told, despite what Mrs Sturgeon might think, if you don't you will be disenfranchised and then, you can wallow in your 3rd world ignominy to your Celtic hearts content, you will become the next Greece in about a month and the next subject for live aid in about a year