All-party groups: Calls for stronger anti-lobbying rules for MPs

[srb7677]

MPs earn less than many of them could earn in the commercial world. If the politics of envy which is currently turning Westminster green, has its way we will be left with mediocre MPs who see Parliament as rich pickings while their expertise if any, is not up to the job of running a country. Angels Rayner being a case in point..

Those with qualifications that need time spent to maintain qualifications, and those who could earn so much more elsewhere simply won't bother. MPs' pay is not that great.

MPs ought to be representaive of the people to avoid being hopeless out of touch. Their salies already suffice to place them in the top 5% of earners, salaries funded by us. The least we ought to be able to expect for that is that they do the job full time.

To those that think the salary insufficient, go elsewhere and make a living. The wealthy elites are over-represented already. Parliament could do with a few more people who - like most of us - recognise the job to be well paid and who know what it is like to earn a lot less.

None of this has anything to do with envy so please put that tired old canard back in it's box.

And a little less snobbish disdain for Angela Rayner might not go amiss either. At least she knows what it is like to have lived a normal life on normal pay.

[Nick]

Until the early 19th century MPs were not paid and there is little evidence they were any better or worse then than now.

By the time a politician has become an MP he or she has had to made so many deals that it is pretty obvious that they could earn a hell of a lot more money selling second hand motors or some such. The problem is not that they trouser a few quid, but that they aren't really interested in the money. What they really, really want is to belong to the best club in the UK and talk bollocks and feel important and all the rest.

Precisely.

How has Angela Rayner got a net worth of £1.5 million? She's only been an MP for 6 years. She has almost zero qualifications apart from a No Value Qualification in sign language and I am fairly sure that doesn't carry any kind of salary with it.

[Borchester]

MPs earn less than many of them could earn in the commercial world. If the politics of envy which is currently turning Westminster green, has its way we will be left with mediocre MPs who see Parliament as rich pickings while their expertise if any, is not up to the job of running a country. Angels Rayner being a case in point..

Those with qualifications that need time spent to maintain qualifications, and those who could earn so much more elsewhere simply won't bother. MPs' pay is not that great.

Until the early 19th century MPs were not paid and there is little evidence they were any better or worse then than now.

By the time a politician has become an MP he or she has had to made so many deals that it is pretty obvious that they could earn a hell of a lot more money selling second hand motors or some such. The problem is not that they trouser a few quid, but that they aren't really interested in the money. What they really, really want is to belong to the best club in the UK and talk bollocks and feel important and all the rest.

[T00ts]

MPs earn less than many of them could earn in the commercial world. If the politics of envy which is currently turning Westminster green, has its way we will be left with mediocre MPs who see Parliament as rich pickings while their expertise if any, is not up to the job of running a country. Angels Rayner being a case in point..

Those with qualifications that need time spent to maintain qualifications, and those who could earn so much more elsewhere simply won't bother. MPs' pay is not that great. 

[srb7677]

MPs will only go so far as they have to.

For far too many, self interest is a key component in what drives them, especially those ones forever going on about aspiration. They see little wrong in seizing upon any opportunity to better themselves and enrich themselves, including gaming the system to their advantage, because that is how they think we should all be encouraged to act. 

The majority of them are beneficiaries of a system they themselves do well out of, and that includes Labour MPs too.

Don't expect much in the way of meaningful change from this lot.

[GBNews]

All-party groups: Calls for stronger anti-lobbying rules for MPs

MPs face tighter rules on second jobs - but what about lobbying through all-party groups?

Source: All-party groups: Calls for stronger anti-lobbying rules for MPs