(UK) MPs' pay: Watchdog to back pay rise of more than £6,000

I am disgusted with this news. Again, those who are voted in to run this country (And are currently doing a poor job) are set to get a pay rise of MORE than £6,000!

BBC Source

MP's have golden pensions waiting for them, their expenses paid, second/third/fourth incomes. It is unthinkable that they be on a wage of £74,000 per year with this being said!
All this in the face of cutting benefits, capping pay rise's to 1% for the rest of the country, selling off royal mail, cutting the public sector etc

There are some people who say "If you want the best MP's you have to pay them a proper wage"

And to them i say sit down, shut up.

How can an MP understand the plight of a family who lives on less than 20k a year? Or those who have been on the housing list years? People who are going to food banks because they've been kicked off of the dole? How can they understand that £9,000 per year to attend university is TOO COSTLY.

They are already so far removed from the general worries of your average UK citizen that this pay rise will only further that truth.

I wish i could spend more time in this thread but i have to go out to voluntary work, i thought i would at least share this news with fellow ATS members so that at least you know. What a disgusting country we live in

I just heard this on the news and I'm fuming

I thought it was some kind of sick joke. What's hard to take as well is that we will all just sit back and let it happen, what can we do?

Absolutely disgusting

well it's guaranteed what you can't do, VOTE THEM OUT

The political system is wrongly geared in the UK, you can vote these twats in but not out.
How many of us are in jobs that are monitored in one way or another.
If you screw up in a job your out.

Not if your an MP. The gravy train never stops for them and their perks (including outside interests that they don't list).

There is nothing that we can do about this though.
even if 60 odd million people marched on the houses of parliament, it wont change a single thing.
Some people talk about revolution and change but that won't happen either.

The government knows how to look after people just enough so that they would not rebel.
And that's where the problem lays.
Keep us all in the dark and fed s-h-i-t

Just to add, this coalition is NOT what people voted in (they only got in because there was no clear winner in the elections - hence the coalition)
So the country is being ran by a bunch of Eton educated thugs that were not even put there by the populace.

there are many honest brits that can and would do a much better job of running the country for a lot less money than any current mp you really do have to be a lying theiving peice of # to be in uk politics something has to be done

I look after old people and do things most wouldn't (personal care etc) and due to the new pension laws my employer has cut my hours to 16 (max) a week I earn about 6k a year.....maybe I should run becoming a MP eh?

It really is something when these people, already considered in the top 5% earners, vote to give themselves an above inflation pay rise, while all other government departments and employees face cuts or below inflation pay rises. They themselves are public employees. Many with second jobs and vested interests in private sector companies.

Their pay should be cut in line with other government departments with no second jobs allowed. If they don't like it maybe they can find another job elsewhere.

I'm sure there are many capable out there who would take on the job, who are just as competent if not more. It's hardly like we are blessed with a current crop of political masterminds at the moment. There are more politically aware and intelligent people on ATS, than either the cabinet or shadow cabinet.

So "they" essentially freeze everyone else's wages, slash benefits right left and centre and increasing there own income?

This is in no way a shock people! Its not like we/you/I should not have seen it coming!

Its what they do you see, they want you on you knee's! Easier to control you that way!

This really pi55ed me off!
I have had my first increase in 3 years. Only 1% whilst costs have been increasing and they get that increase!
They are supposed to be "of the people" how can they represent us when they don't live like the rest of us.......

Originally posted by woodwardjnr
It really is something when these people, already considered in the top 5% earners, vote to give themselves an above inflation pay rise, while all other government departments and employees face cuts or below inflation pay rises. They themselves are public employees. Many with second jobs and vested interests in private sector companies.

Their pay should be cut in line with other government departments with no second jobs allowed. If they don't like it maybe they can find another job elsewhere.

I'm sure there are many capable out there who would take on the job, who are just as competent if not more. It's hardly like we are blessed with a current crop of political masterminds at the moment. There are more politically aware and intelligent people on ATS, than either the cabinet or shadow cabinet.

they dont vote to give themselves this pay rise, it is set by an independent panel and they have the power to force MP's to take it, they actually wanted to give MP's a 10K + raise.

And sorry, but the idea that other people would do it for less is just a fallacy, maybe for the 1st year, but then they would expect more, we all know that. I'd rather my local MP was paid a decent wage rather than the local council leader who's paid more then the PM. If you want to be up in arms about something be more up in arms at local councils, they pay ridiculous wages to 'chief exec's' etc and they are the ones that cut 'local' services to keep their pay and benefits.

I know this wont be popular, but i'm not in a popularity contest

But we have to remember.."We are all in this together"...

Id be an MP for 30k a year nevermind 75! Maybe i dhould start getting politically active, we cant do much worse!

A salary of £74,000 in 2015, with rises after that linked to average earnings across the whole economy.

No, no, no. Rises linked to average earnings NOW, not bloody well after this astonishingly arrogant pay raise.

Also, are our illustrious leaders not public sector workers themselves? So why are they not "awarded" the pitiful 1% the rest of the public sector has to suffer through (while the cost of living increased by an average 25%)?

I once worked for a company that had the most incredible policy on pay. The highest paid could not earn more than 7 times what the lowest paid earned. Therefore if the executives wanted a pay raise, EVERYONE had to get a pay raise. It was easily the most productive environment I had ever worked in. Personally I'd like to see this idea applied to MP's pay.

reply to post by FFS4000


Fair point, was a bit quick off the mark there. I see its IPSA that make these decisions. Still a bunch of establishment figures looking after their own.

Yeah it's not a bad number, you guys ought to see the car park at Westminster, its underground obviously, but the cars parked in there probably cost the same as some people's houses....up north at least.

To me they don't do anything, I've never known an MP to act in the interest of the public, then again the British public are spinless and borderline stupid. A drug dealing piece of trash gets killed, riot and loot the shops, the government continue to smash the working man and in particular, the British worker, just shrug shoulders and drool.

I'm voting UKIP, I don't expect them to be any different to be honest, but after Tories who just smash the axe down far too hard and simply talk a good game about subjects that affect us all, but do little. Labour who are just absolutely dreadful and have wrecked many towns and cities forever with their destructive immigration policy, not to mention devaluing wages and floggign off everything they could find and Lib Dems, who would have us enslaved by a foreign power if they could. UKIP may as well have a shot, they can't do any worse than the rest of the overpaid trash!

According to the IPSA chairman, the deal shouldn't be too bad for the taxpayer, as many of the perks are going to be abolished.

Sir Ian Kennedy Defends 'Fair' Pay Rise For MPs Amid Outrage

The taxpayer will be hit with a £4.6 million bill for the increase which will take effect after the general election in 2015.
However, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) also proposed to offset the costs with curbs to pensions, expenses for dinners, TV licences, taxis, and "golden goodbyes".
It insisted that the overall burden on the taxpayer will only go up by £500,000 when the package comes into force.

Second jobs and directorships are more of a concern. I'd also imagine they have a good few more loopholes up their sleeves to fleece the taxpayer.

and why does this suprice you?
the rich for the rich.

reply to post by SearchLightsInc


Obviously they are doing this to get a re-action from the Populace!

And no doubt funded by the Arabs!

From a few months ago in the FT

Ministers are considering freezing or even cutting the minimum wage, despite embarking on the largest contraction to date in the welfare state with the aim of making “work pay”.

The wage, paid to almost a million low paid workers at companies such as retailers and manufacturers, has never been cut since its introduction in 1999.

But Downing Street said on Tuesday morning the business department was mulling over a report from the Low Pay Commission, which recommends the wage level, and could end up reducing the rate.

Google linky

Click the FT in the google search as a direct link won't work.

In my opinion MP's wages are artificially low because of views as expressed elsewhere in this thread. To compensate for this they previously had, shall we say, lax expense enforcement which has been greatly reduced.

Compared to other higher roles in the civil service they are payed relatively poorly. Many work 6 days per week including 4 nights away from home. To be honest I wouldn't do their job for the pay.

Look at NHS managers, council leaders, the BBC etc for examples of overpay.

And to those moaning about their own pay, if you don't like it get a better job. I know many will say there isn't the work out there but in my experience skilled workers are in short supply. The company I work for can't get staff despite paying well above average rates.

And to those moaning about their own pay, if you don't like it get a better job. I know many will say there isn't the work out there but in my experience skilled workers are in short supply. The company I work for can't get staff despite paying well above average rates.

You could say the same to MPs couldn't you? If you don't like the pay, step down and get a better job. Make way for someone who isn't in it for the money. MPs receive a generous pay and benefits for a civil servant.