The “grim” struggle of living on an MP’s *£81,932 salary* [angry]

Well, if any of them are not satisfied with their salary, they should go and find a different job, shouldn't they, instead of moaning about it!

Totally agree with all the points made by Pammie1.
I don't think that any of the MP's of our present government have any idea of how people truly have to manage on so little.
I despair of where this country is heading and can only see things getting worse for people that are vulnerable. I sure no one wants to be on benefits and zero hour contracts.

CoolCoco

There are plenty of lawyers and doctors who are MPs who must have taken a pay cut - maybe because they are wealthy enough or enjoy the kudos of being an MP. MPs can also earn money on the side writing newspaper columns and giving speeches so I doubt many of them are on the breadline. I think the problem is in attracting the best possible candidates for the job - I don't think the current cabinet represent the finest minds the country has to offer.

It most certainly doesn't!

The problem is that the dossers in safe seats would still have their jobs on the side, but would earn more from their "hobby".

Anybody who makes it to the cabinet has something to put on their CV and won't ever be on the breadline. I'm not convinced that more pay would attract the best minds.

There are plenty of lawyers and doctors who are MPs who must have taken a pay cut - maybe because they are wealthy enough or enjoy the kudos of being an MP. MPs can also earn money on the side writing newspaper columns and giving speeches so I doubt many of them are on the breadline. I think the problem is in attracting the best possible candidates for the job - I don't think the current cabinet represent the finest minds the country has to offer.

I wouldn’t have thought his comments went down well with his government, considering they’ve just snatched back the £20 a week UC uplift !! It beggars belief that an MP of any colour would say something so crass at a time when inflation is pushing up prices all over the place and people are struggling because of the effects of the pandemic. Given that MP’s have their fingers in all sorts of pies, the salary is unlikely to be their only source of income anyway. Wish things were so ‘grim’ for the rest of us. The contempt with which they view the British public is breathtaking.

So should we have governmental control of salaries then?

That sounds a bit left wing.

Dinahmo

JenniferEccles

In this day and age it’s really not a high salary though is it?
Hundreds of thousands of people in all walks of life
earn considerably more as well as CEOs of thousands of companies.
Then of course we get onto the ridiculous sums paid to tv presenters and footballers.

Boris Johnson took a considerable pay cut when he became PM.

Median incomes in 2019/20:

The richest 1/5 £62'400
The poorest 1/5 £13,880
The retired £23,557

It would seem that Peter Bottomley isn't doing too badly.

The retired, on 23,000 , well I wish, as do many others I would guess. Am classed as poor according to this. Think people running the country should be paid more than a TV presenter. Or a footballer for that matter. To think my friends niece gets paid more for working on a check out than another friends husband who is a bus driver. It’s all bum towards face if you ask me.

Of course there are many people who earn more than £80,000 but that's not the issue.

There's never any shortage of people who stand for Parliament at elections and desperate to be MPs - they know what the salary is, plus the perks and expenses.

If it's not enough don't do it for decades - go off and be paid your true worth!

JenniferEccles

In this day and age it’s really not a high salary though is it?
Hundreds of thousands of people in all walks of life
earn considerably more as well as CEOs of thousands of companies.
Then of course we get onto the ridiculous sums paid to tv presenters and footballers.

Boris Johnson took a considerable pay cut when he became PM.

Yes it is a high salary. And even if you were correct in saying it is not a high salary it certainly is NOT “desperate”

Like other MPs, he also owns property:

publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/201109/bottomley_peter.htm

Classroom teachers would dream of that level of salary, as would nurses.

Different world isn`t it, people on zero hour contracts, or very low wages etc and he spouts this rubbish.
Well said - Missadventure it is an insult.

Snap

His wife, Virginia, is a former MP and is now in the House of Lords, so has a pension and pay for sitting in the Lords, if she so wants. She also has various business interests, so I doubt very much if they're desperate.

Furthermore, his wife was an MP for a number of years and has been a peer since 2005.

No, he's not doing badly at all.

In the UK, there's a tail at the top end with some people earning very high amounts, but there are very few people in the group.

Really this just shows how little regard is given to the poorest people.
To have the audacity to speak of "desperation" is an absolute insult.

JenniferEccles

In this day and age it’s really not a high salary though is it?
Hundreds of thousands of people in all walks of life
earn considerably more as well as CEOs of thousands of companies.
Then of course we get onto the ridiculous sums paid to tv presenters and footballers.

Boris Johnson took a considerable pay cut when he became PM.

Median incomes in 2019/20:

The richest 1/5 £62'400
The poorest 1/5 £13,880
The retired £23,557

It would seem that Peter Bottomley isn't doing too badly.

NotSpaghetti

I don't think the background above is particularly noteworthy (except of course he went to Westminster School and then Trinity Cambridge).
Like most people he worked between school and university. Then he went to university (3 or possibly 4 years) and then he worked a few years and at 28 was in parliament.

I'm not really sure what you are pointing us towards Maisie?..

And I dare say that his education and family background mean that he has a few influential friends.

I don't think the background above is particularly noteworthy (except of course he went to Westminster School and then Trinity Cambridge).
Like most people he worked between school and university. Then he went to university (3 or possibly 4 years) and then he worked a few years and at 28 was in parliament.

I'm not really sure what you are pointing us towards Maisie?..

JenniferEccles

In this day and age it’s really not a high salary though is it?
Hundreds of thousands of people in all walks of life
earn considerably more as well as CEOs of thousands of companies.
Then of course we get onto the ridiculous sums paid to tv presenters and footballers.

Boris Johnson took a considerable pay cut when he became PM.

Well, yes, it is. He's in the highest paid 2 or 3%.

From what I know of Bottomley, he's a reasonably hard-working MP, who takes up a variety of causes, so I don't begrudge what he does earn, but he doesn't have any additional responsibility.

15 thousand on expenses on top of his earnings last year.
Oh my achey, breaky heart!

Alegrias1

Ohh - just thought.....

Does he still have his HGV licence?

He's probably let it lapse. You need to do 30 hours' training within a five year period.

In this day and age it’s really not a high salary though is it?
Hundreds of thousands of people in all walks of life
earn considerably more as well as CEOs of thousands of companies.
Then of course we get onto the ridiculous sums paid to tv presenters and footballers.

Boris Johnson took a considerable pay cut when he became PM.