UK folks - Alistair Darling is asking for pay restraint.... : )?

Question

Meantime the Sunday Times reports that MP's are going to give themselves an extra £40k in allowances.

Politicians are always going on about leadership - it's about time they showed some isn't it?

Should MP's pay be index linked to, say, a maximum of 2 or 3 times the national average salary and their expenses fully open to public scrutiny?

Shouldn't they be subject to being sacked by a popular vote of their constituents if they are not happy with their MP's performance - and have their pension linked to a vote of satisfaction on the ballot paper every election time?

Answer 1

Perhaps we need to privatise our Members of Parliament.  We should have contractors who would provide their services, bidding for the opportunity to do it for the lowest price, while still maintaining as high as standard as possible. Just as all the other services paid for with taxpayers money were made so much more cost effective and efficient,(!*%$?) so too, could the running of the Houses of Parliament.  It's a wonder Mrs. Thatcher never thought of that whilst she was still in office!  Such an obvious oversight, don't you think?  

Seriously though, it is a disgrace when MP's make one rule for themselves and another for the people they are supposed to serve.  It is better for MP's to have salaries as otherwise we would only have people going into politics that can afford to maintain themselves without it, and your rich folk don't empathise that much with the ordinary citizen.  However, there are limits, and these pay rises by the back door are too much for your average taxpayer to stomach.

Answer 2

Do as I say, not as I do.

Answer 3

As they are giving more and more  decision making powers to the EU surely they should be taking a pay cut.They don't appear to be doing much for their money at the best of times.They are the ones that want us all to adopt performance related pay,perhaps they should be leading from the front on that concept.

Answer 4

Something similar happened in Ireland last year. Bertie Ahern told the Irish public "its time to tighten our belts". Weeks later he awarded himself a huge payrise making him the highest payed democratic leader in the world. His excuse when asked why he thought he deserved more than the US president, was that he didnt get some of the 'perks' like the White House and Air Force One.

Of course he resigned his office only six months later amid evidence surfacing over corruption allegations spanning the nineties. Hopefully the investigating tribunal will recommend him being brought to justice just like non-political criminal fraudsters. That would be a rare victory for the people.

As for Brown and Darling, everyone knows Brown is incapable of winning the support of his own people and should be rid of to save any further embrassment. I know little of this Darling character other than the 10p tax c**p [he oughtta bleach those stupid eyebrows] but he sounds like your average politician - hardly a compliment.

Youre suggestions are interesting, particularly the last one about pensions. I dont think however that theyll be putting those ideas to referendum any time soon..

Answer 5

The Cabinet have collectively decided to take NO PAY INCREASE.      For all their faults, I call THAT leadership.

Answer 6

It's discusting.

More on, the fact that there are now so many low paid jobs - many filled by migrants (though that's not the point), that there is now a real rich / poor divide.

A 3% pay rise means nothing to someone lucky enough to be on a pathetic £12k a year, especially with all the Labour price increases, essentially in taxation, however, on a £100k as an MP would do quite nicely alongside their fraudulant expenses.

I'd like to call Alistair "Darling" and shaft him like his party has shafted us.

He wouldn't want his seat for long.

Answer 7

Amazing ain't it.

Good old joe public is expected to tighten the old belt and accept the suffering while they award themselves an allowance that is twice what most people earn in year before tax. Talk about taking the p!ss!!!

There used to be a time - back in the dim distant past - when politicians entered Parliament to serve the people, not their own pockets. These people live in cloud cuckoo land and most have never done a days graft in their lives.

The time is long overdue when they need reminding that they are there to serve the people - not the other way round.