I think any fall in jobs numbers would have been felt towards the end of the furlough, rather than after it ended as employers would let people go before they had to pay them again. However, there is a lot of demand for workers in the economy right now for a variety of reasons.
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A lot of contracts are being hastily redrawn to remove references to āconsultantsā and replace them with the word āadvisorā.
I did wonder whether there would be a loop holes.
I wonder what the likes of Geoffrey Cox will do. Financially it makes no sense him continuing as an MP. Politically it also makes no sense him continuing as an MP if heās never there.
Iām torn about this. MPs pay is going to need to go up if weāre wanting to attract the very best to represent us.
I also think weāre in danger of weakening an MPs expertise if we deny them current experience with the world outside of Westminster.
I wouldnāt ban consultancies or second jobs for anyone. Iād limit the number of hours they can spend doing those roles to, say, 200 hours a year. Iād tighten the rules about lobbying and use of Parliamentary facilities, if indeed they need tightening which they may not.
Iād also deduct wages from an MPs salary for each debate or vote they miss in Parliament unless they were ill, pregnant, otherwise engaged on official Parliamentary businessā¦
Too many MPs attend too few debates. They should also lose a % of Parliamentary expenses for each time they do not participate in Parliamentary business without valid reason.
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You make really sensible points, but the problems I have with the current arrangements is that it weakens the spirit of the job - what an MP should be and represent.
Politics should be a calling. You should become an MP because you passionately want to represent people and believe you can make a difference. Too many politicians treat parliament as a finishing school for much more lucrative career in private business.
The idea that we have to allow lucrative side careers to attract the best candidates, is an interesting notion, not least because it patently hasnāt worked. Parliament is stuffed with idiots. Itās surely the worst commons in terms of talent anyone can remember. What jobs on the side has actually done is attract people who see being an MP as a gateway to the big money elsewhere.
Iām in favour of a pay rise for MPs but not because it will attract the best people - we donāt want people who see the salary as the primary reason for doing it - because the job should carry that kind of weight. It should be full on, hard work in difficult circumstances with long hours and therefore paid accordingly. The base salary for an MP is about 80k. Iāve no problem with it being about 100k.
But with that comes a lot of changes. No second jobs, consultancies, advisory roles etc. An MP should be representing their constituents full time. Attendance in the House of Commons should be compulsory - itās their place of work, and unless they are on parliamentary business, they should be there. I wouldnāt dock salary for none attendance. Iād just treat it like any other job. Repeatedly fail to turn up and youāre out.
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Why? would be my first response to this. Why should politics only be attractive to those that feel that Ā£80k a year + juicy expenses is not enough of a salary? How do the likes of Geoffrey Cox, Rees-Mogg, Boris Johnson etc. actually benefit the UK politically when they are so utterly disconnected from reality?
The job is about public service and should not be considered as a route to other opportunities as it currently is. I honestly think that we are attracting the wrong people into politics in many cases. The Eaton gravy train needs to be stopped for starters.
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All fair points.
I would add looking at the number of politicians and how many are actually adding value and usefulness - Surely we donāt need +600 MPās, so find out which constituencies can be merged to reduce the number of politicians that are adding fuck all to the country
Ā£80k per year is less than many GPs, Senior Executives, Public Health Officials, Local Government Executives, Senior Civil Servants, Lawyers, Engineers, Senior Executives at FTSE 250 companies, Head Teachers etc earn.
We want to be making public service as an MP a viable and attractive alternative for people with this sort of expertise.
If weāre going to take away any additional ability for MPs to earn additional income then I think their base should be closer to Ā£150k/year.
If weāre going to keep it to Ā£100k or lower then Iād be allowing additional sources of income but capping the hours that they can direct to those to c.200 per year. That would allow A&E doctors, for example, to be an MP whilst continuing to maintain relevant/current experience of 4/5 hours a week at the front line.
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Iād certainly be on board with a review of how MPās are paid and reimbursed (expenses). Letās be honest and say that the current Ā£80k per year is basically a monthly bonus to many, as the real money lies in how they claim the benefits through second homes etc. Doctors etc. donāt get those benefits. So yes, Iād be happy with paying them more provided the expenses side is also reviewed.
But Iād also want MPās to actually properly represent their constituents first and foremost so Iām extremely cautious on second jobs. I can understand the view of them becoming disconnected but isnāt that where surgeries, and even meetings with local councils etc. can come in? I think Iād also like to ensure that every MP undertakes this sort of interaction with authorities in their constituents.
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I thought the number of constituencies is set so that the number of people within each constituency is the same (50k?). I wouldnāt want to see this reduced arbitrarily, there is already a system in place for boundary changes and I donāt know how easy that is for gerrymandering to go on - a number of seats are expected to be moved by the next election (I think Corbynās constituency is one that is facing merger).
Wales set to lose 8 constituencies I think.
Itās not going down well with certain political parties.
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Thereās also the argument that better paid MPs are less prone to bribery and corruption. I stress lessā¦ā¦
Raising their wage would make little difference.
MPs get a base salary of 80K, plus if they are part of cabinet they get an additional 70K. Many get their rent paid for, while renting out their own homes (even when they own multiple London homes), they claim refurbishment, they āemployā family members and enjoy subsidised meals.
Unlike most jobs they can accept gifts (itās scandalous that MPs have holidays paid for by rich Russian businessmen). Thatās before you add second jobs, or more shady aspects of awarding contracts to companies they have associations with.
12 years ago, Johnson described the 250K a year he got from the telegraph as chicken feed. As absurd as it sounds it is. When many are are multi millionaires.
I would happily raise the base salary, if parliament owned accommodation (eg 1 bedroom flats) and provided these to MPs when in London, they banned hiring family members as staff, they banned gifts (or be like the NHS, no gift over Ā£50), they banned MPs earning money with second jobs, being a guest speaker, or being a directors, and importantly introduced rules preventing MPs being party to any aspect of awarding contracts.
Introduce the same checks and balances and conditions of employment that are normal in many work places
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Its also worth mentioning their base salary is 80K, but they also get pension contributions worth 40K per year.
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On the flip side my Aunt was an MP of standing for many years, saw little of her kids whilst they grew up and less when they were older. You have to make huge sacrifices to be an MP. Itās not all champagne and caviar. Although she did fly on Airforce 1 and several times on Concord and now has a lovely place in Spain. No question a few Ā£Ā£Ā£ were earned but then she once found a bomb under her car.
I think thatās true for most jobs in the UK if you are earning Ā£80k+
Itās essentially what I rejected. Realised it was killing me health and stress wise, and the money was not worth the cost of missing out on my kids growing up.
My take is probably 60-75% are good people. They want to make a world a better place. The remaining are those interested in power, money, status. Itās unfortunate that those willing to do anything, step on anyone, are the ones that climb the ladder.
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My MP worked as a local councillor for many years before getting a shot at being MP. Heās as ordinary a guy as you could want to meet. Certainly not the well educated monied elite type. Not quite Baldrick but not a million miles away. I wouldnāt say he ever wanted to be an MP as such, circumstances just fell his way. Will be interesting to see the kind of person he becomes. Power corrupts and all.
What? you mean he used to go to food banks in a nice Mercedes? 
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