h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So now we discover that we, the taxpayers, are stung to furnish MP's second homes - to the tune of £10K for a fitted kitchen !!!!!

When for Bob's Sake are we going to wake up and REALLY start to demand to know what their rake-of actually is? As the House of Commons gets to release more little nuggets ( under pressure ) is it in any wonder that your average Brit has no faith, no confidence and zero trust in the political classes?

I begin to look forward to the day when we, the 'silent group' put an end to them all..

Up the Revolution

Novo

I think we should pay them a better basic, and then get rid of the allowances.

I don't want to return to the old days where an MP was a second job for barristers, not something you were supposed to do full time and therefore live of, but the lack of transparency with the current system is not good.

sprout

Change is long overdue, I think many MPs acknowledge that, but it wont happen until the current Speaker is replaced.

Surely that "furnishing of second homes" business has been around for yonks - the theory being it saves on travel expenses and time for themPS who'd have long journies - the NI and Scotiish ones have the longest to travel I guess.

I remember the furore here years ago at Sinn Fein MPs getting the allowance, even though it was part of their creed not to attend Westminster.

I think, for me, the point isn't necessarily the sums involved (although they do make me - why can't they have a pool of furniture, etc, like we have for military housing? - anything they want to have of their own, they provide themselves)

The real problem for me is the not having to provide receipts for their expenses. (although this has now been reduced to 25quid from 250)

Another thing is the employment of family: small business aren't allowed to do that, as I understand, so why should the people who actually made that law?

I think MPs should have a higher salary. I also think every single penny on their expenses account should be accounted for and receipts provided. I also think MPs (of every party) should be allowed to sit in parliament without taking an oath (or affirmation, let's not forget the Quakers! ) of loyalty to the monarchy, but that's another issue.

I'd like them to take an oath to the people they are representing, no more no less, that they will conduct themselves honestly.

I remember the joke previously about the Tories being so keen on family policies because so many of them loved families so much they had two of them.

Honesty over salaries and expenses would be a good start to gaining trust.

"When it comes to extravagant expenses, the Prime Minister's great friends Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper - the Cabinet's golden couple - know how to pile on the pounds. During 2006-2007, they racked up more than £300,000 in expenses, a bill that included £30,000 for the upkeep of their expensive second home in Stoke Newington, north London"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/15/nmps215.xml

Assuming £150,000 each, "So What" Balls is on £130,000 as a member of the Cabinet. So should his salary be raised to £280,000 a year?

It might result in a substantial saving if we gave him a pay rise and made him submit receipts for his expense account.

I'm wondering who the "political classes" are, Novo. Such a turn of phrase seems to cast aspersions on our glorious pious and immortal democraticish system (may it ever prosper).

I suppose its better that they're putting the money back into the economy than saving it all up .

I think that given the following:
1) MP's wage already quite substantial.
2) Pay not justifiable on demand - no shortage of people who want to run the country.
3) Pay not justifiable on effort - plenty of people in far lower paid careers regularly work longer hours.
4) Pay not justifiable on skill - no qualifications required, only relevant work experience and on the job training.

They may as well just lose most of their expense claims.

From the first post

"When for Bob's Sake are we going to wake up and REALLY start to demand to know what their rake-of actually is?"

What are *you* doing about it, Novo? Have you written to your local MP, or the constituency party or to the local paper to complain about the abuse of expenses?

I think voter apathy is the biggest problem. If we want to keep MPs on a short leash (and I think we do), it's up to us to make it happen.

Yes, and I agree

Why don't hey just buy a hotel in central London and allow them to stay free ?

As the number of members remains fairly constant it would save keep reviewing new claims.

Can you imagine coming down bleary-eyed of a morning for breakfast, only to find the only spare seat in the dining room is opposite John Prescott stuffing his face with his morning pies?

I think that comes under "cruel & inhumane treatment"

Might make them think twice about whether they absolutely neeeded to be inLondon, rather than in their constituency.

And if they've all got second homes why are their voting records so patchy ?