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Why are MP's paid so much?

They're paid a fairly average wage for someone with their intelligence (and yes, whatever you think of their policies and decisions they're intelligent) and level of education, plus expenses for the simple reason that they need to work in both a constituency and London.

Your counter argument's pretty poor really. If you want to make a thread on "Why are teachers and lecturers paid so little?" then go for it.

Reply 21

n00

14

Original post by Rob da Mop

They're paid a fairly average wage for someone with their intelligence (and yes, whatever you think of their policies and decisions they're intelligent) and level of education

What makes you believe they're all intelligent? :s-smilie:

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 22

Rational Thinker

OP

Original post by Rob da Mop

They're paid a fairly average wage for someone with their intelligence (and yes, whatever you think of their policies and decisions they're intelligent) and level of education, plus expenses for the simple reason that they need to work in both a constituency and London.

Your counter argument's pretty poor really. If you want to make a thread on "Why are teachers and lecturers paid so little?" then go for it.

They have expenses exceeding their salary to cover the logistics between London and their constituency.

Reply 23

MindTheGaps

17

Original post by Rational Thinker

I am no philistine and do understand the difficulties involved, I am also aware on the 1911 Parliament act, as for the salary however, I fail to see how an MP is a more difficult career than say a University lecturer. Lets compare shall we.

University Lecturer
Most have a PHD
Late night marking assignments
Have concentrated and specialised often for many years in many cases.
Paid on average around £33,000 - £43,000

MP
While many have a degree, some like Ian Duncan Smith are just ignorant bores.
Late night partisan jeering
Often are uniformed of the issues of many bills
Paid on average around £66,396

University lecturers are not well paid relative to their talent, especially compared to, say, in the US. Those who stay in academia do so because they love it, or possibly because they wouldn't cope very well in the real world, but many extremely intelligent people just go and get well paying jobs instead. The same problem arises.

I am not arguing that currently all MPs are massively intelligent and well-qualified on all the issues, far from it, but it is by any measure a stressful job with a lot of media commitments, etc. Now, you may see them just sitting around and shouting crude insults at one another, but they do hold the executive to account. If you trust government as little as I do, that is a very important job, and I would rather it were done by an intelligent and representative body of people. Whilst there are some (a lot of) idiots, there are some very insightful MPs who add clarity and scrutiny to government business, and I would be loath to drive them away.

You can argue about what MPs 'deserve' until your face turns blue, but salaries are never decided like that. They are set by economic reality. Cutting the salary of MPs would lead to a less representative and less talented parliament. Large numbers, disproportionately those from ordinary backgrounds, would go and get the better paying jobs that were available to them. Is that fair? It doesn't matter. It is reality and you can like it or lump it.

Reply 24

Quady

20

Original post by Rational Thinker

I know many of us would happily be an MP for £25,000 or less, so why are MP's paid so much?

I would be happy to play for many premiership football teams for £45k/annum, taking a slight salary reduction to do so. So why are footballers paid so much?

I you would do it for £25k why don't you? You could distribute the extra cash to charities in your constituency, or back to the public purse.

The thing is you won't stand will you? The long hours, spending 4 days in Westminster away from your wife and kids, 3 days in your Northumbria constituency doesn't appeal does it? Neither does having 'Rational Thinker;45242986' write to you and the papers demanding to know why during the week you aren't staying in a Youth Hostel. You don't think you could sit after a bill reading and understand the contents, also you want more job security like a teacher or university lecturer, not a four year term. Also you're not a very good public speaker and so don't think you'd get elected anyway.

There is a sensible argument to say representatives should be paid the average of the group the represent. But taking a pay cut for a ball ache of a job would put off a lot of people. At 29 the idea of a £16k (before 42% tax) in return for a much more arduous job with less job security doesn't sound like a good deal. Halving my salary would be a joke. Not that I'm good enough anyway.

Reply 25

Psyk

16

Sounds like quite a reasonable salary to me. It's a lot compared to the average, but there are also a lot of jobs that pay much more. And there are only 650 odd MPs.

I can't imagine someone trying to become an MP for the money. I'm sure there would be far easier ways to land a high paying job. Not necessarily that great for job security either, depending on where you are.

Reply 26

meenu89

19

I would pay them more but get rid of some of them. Should have about 600 MPs. The fewer there are the less damage they do....

They are underpaid.

Original post by Rational Thinker

http://www.parliament.uk/about/mps-and-lords/members/pay-mps/
From 1st April 2013 the average MP salary is £66,396 not including expenses. Why are these parasites on so much money, considering that far more intelligent and useful people, eg teachers, University lecturers and such are on so much less? I know many of us would happily be an MP for £25,000 or less, so why are MP's paid so much?

Edit missed the question mark on the Poll question.

Politicians are pretty damn important to be fair. Such a cliche to brand all politicians as 'parasites', maybe if the public weren't so petty they wouldn't need to bend the truth, any old nonsense is a scandal.

Reply 29

Portia1993

10

Because it's a stressful and demanding job - You don't get the same breaks as you do with other jobs because the country won't just stand still while all of them go off on their jollies
Also, with some of them having to travel so far they need some form of reimbursement for their travel (you'd expect it in any other job)
It's a tough job helping to run the country - much tougher than being a footballer and look what they get paid?!

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 30

Rational Thinker

OP

Original post by Plainview

They are underpaid.

How can you justify that remark?

Reply 31

Quady

20

Original post by Rational Thinker

How can you justify that remark?

By comparing their salary to that of MPs in other countries?

Reply 32

Rational Thinker

OP

Original post by Quady

By comparing their salary to that of MPs in other countries?

No, you should compare it with the average salary and if you do, you will realise MP's are very well paid.

Reply 33

Swanbow

19

I think that their salary is sufficient, but there should be reductions in the amount of expenses and what they can claim them for. For example travelling is part of any job, pay for it out of your salary not the public purse. Perhaps MPs might then sympathise with us in regards to train prices.

Reply 34

Quady

20

Original post by Rational Thinker

No, you should compare it with the average salary and if you do, you will realise MP's are very well paid.

Wwwhwhhyyy?

Yes they are well paid, but so are many people. I wouldn't really want my GP on the average wage and I'm quite happy they get more than a Minister of State.

I don't really advocate a race to the bottom, then again as a higher rate tax payer its not in my interests to be.

Reply 35

The_Internet

20

They're paid "the right amount" imo. I don't like that they want a pay rise though when they're freezing (effectively taking away money from people) salaries for doctors/nurses

Reply 36

anarchism101

17

I agree that MPs are overpaid, but not that much; there are far more overpaid jobs out there.

Reply 37

Raiden10

17

Original post by Rinsed

I think we want certain things from our MPs. They need to be intelligent and talented enough to properly scrutinise policy and they certainly need to be hard-working. Someone with these qualities could command far more than £25,000 (or to be honest £66,000) in the private sector.

Could we not say the same of teaching? If teaching standards are low it is because the most intelligent and talented and hard-working are driven away by the low salary.

Reply 38

Quady

20

Original post by Rational Thinker

No, you should compare it with the average salary and if you do, you will realise MP's are very well paid.

Wwwhwhhyyy? Thats the obvious comparator.

Yes they are well paid, but so are many people. I wouldn't really want my GP on the average wage and I'm quite happy they get more than a Minister of State.

I don't really advocate a race to the bottom, then again as a higher rate tax payer its not in my interests to be.

Reply 39

Quady

20

Original post by Raiden10

Could we not say the same of teaching? If teaching standards are low it is because the most intelligent and talented and hard-working are driven away by the low salary.

Quite right.

But individual teachers are less important than individual MPs.

A teacher has care for about 300 pupils max, an MP closer to 50,000.

Also a teacher gets job security and structured career progression. Two things most MPs don't have..

Why are MP's paid so much?

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