Finding it hard to make ends meet

MPs should have had a life before they go into the House. Not school, uni, a research/lobbyist job, assistant then MP. If they go into politics that way then they have only a limited knowledge/understanding of the real world which can't be a good thing for someone who wields power.

The government wants to curtail the FOI act. If it wasn't for the FOI act we would not know how much all these get in salary and benefits, etc. Or should we call it welfare?

It's well known that the happiest societies are those that are more equal, so perhaps market forces should not be allowed to rule our lives.
Many poorer people would probably like to become MPs. Lots in the north come from working class roots, and are not parachuted in, like those from London. Perhaps we ought to go back to that, and be allowed to choose our own MPs.

There is never any shortage of would-be MPs - they fight tooth and nail to be selected and elected.

It's a bit rich to then complain that it's hard to make ends meet on the known well in advance salary, perks, and allowances.

I gave up reading the papers some time ago, it saves your sanity and keeps the blood pressure low.

Yes, but reading it in the Daily Mail obviously bothered you.

Has it ever occurred to you that some people might just have their own opinions and not simply be regurgitating the editorial opinions of the newspapers they read? A lot of people struggle to make ends meet in this country yet a man who by most standards has a very good income and who is in the public eye by his own choice complains that he cannot make ends meet. He brought this subject into the public domain and can only expect that people will form their own opinions regarding his complaint.

Maybe people should stop reading the Daily Mail it just makes them permanently angry about all kinds of things.

VQ, perhaps he gambles/has expensive commitments/ a champagne lifestyle who knows? my heart doesn't bleed for him, but neither could I vilify him for stating it, because wealth is all relative.

market forces Djen, re footballers, and anyone else who earns mega bucks.

I wasn't griping about his pay rise. The OP is a comment on his inability to live on £90K a year.

Should anyone think I have huge amounts of dosh, they would be wrong ( very wrong) but there is so much griping going on about pay rises and salaries etc. market forces and all that.

I've read the thread but I can't see where whitewave wished for a Communist society.

Maybe footballers shouldn't get as much as they do, rose. In fact, delete that "maybe".

No such thing as fairness about salaries and pay rises.

My grip was on you!

rose what are you talking about Get a grip!!!

Whitewave, you may wish for a Communist society ( didn't work well for Russia, think 1984) but most of us in the country do not, and that is the only way you will get even nominal ' fairness' or equality in salaries.We live in a Capitalist society,and some people will of course earn more than others, some a great deal more, think footballers for example.

All these people wanting a pay rise that's a third of what they expect whole families to live on.

Anyone else watching the Welfare reform and Work Bill on 131 now?

Why are they debating it today?

Every time someone mentions that someone else is privileged or paid more than sufficiently etc another person chips in with the old cliché "the politics of envy" What a ridiculous suggestion. Absolutely nothing to do with envy and everything to do with fairness. I think that phrase was invented by the privileged to detract from the truth.

Apparently a family of three,one working adult,a teenager in full time education,and a soon to be pensioner are able to live,buy food petrol,bus fares and working travel expenses a £112.00 pw is sufficient to live on...

Agree, Bez. I was listening to the local radio this morning, about churches having to set up soup kitchens, etc., over the summer holidays, as there are so many families who rely on breakfast clubs and school meals who will not be able to feed their kids over the summer holidays. We have the biggest food bank in the country in the North East.
Then I read about an MP who says he is struggling and I feel sick.

Further down in the article it says he also has 50K+ expenses - some of which is rent on his London flat but some travel and also money for -tea and coffee! His wife is a solicitor so will be well paid. He is talking about petrol and train money for himself and his wife. He lives in a £700K converted barn - people on here are talking of downsizing!!

I think it has become the fashion to slag off all MP's regardless .They should have had a pay rise before now, but have been reluctant to accept it.on another thread, somebody points out that we don't want only the inherited wealthy being an MP.Paying them a good salary ( but far less than they could earn in business btw) goes a long way to addressing this.If we want quality people for all the political parties, this fact needs to be accepted.

I don't think the politics of envy comes into this. The man, whatever his commitments, even after deductions is earning a substantial amount. In this time of austerity is it appropriate, particularly as he's an MP, for him to be complaining he can't make ends meet when his income is far in excess of that of most people?

Don't forget he also gets expenses:

Alongside his salary, he claimed expenses last year totalling £55,828.96, including £27,192 in rent which is believed to be for his London flat, £148.80 in taxis and £83.55 for coffees and teas

Why does he travel in taxis? Can't he get the bus or tube? £83.55 for coffees and teas? In all my jobs I've had to pay for my own coffee and tea so why are we paying for his?

He needs to spend time in the real world thenb will he still say he can't manage on £90K.