Lammy

Most MPs can, as Casdon says, earn greater salaries outside Parliament. Molly go’s suggestion could be extended to any area of public service. It could be argued if a worker is from a privileged background, with parents who helped with the mortgage deposit, that individual should get less expenses than less lucky colleagues. Nope

Who said anything about means testing?

The decision about WFA was made by deciding who they think could afford to do without it and who they think needed it. We already know about those on the cusp.

The basic annual salary of a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons is £91,346, plus expenses, from April 2024.

Starmer is entitled to unlimited expenses for subsistence and travel.

The basic annual salary of a pensioner is nowhere near that.

Someone, please, explain to the Foreign Secretary the difference between a Head of State and a Head of Government.
We have the King and Queen to ‘look nice’ on our behalf.
The PM’s wife has no official role, there is no requirement for her to attend anything. If she wants to tag along to hold his hand, she can jolly well pay for her clothes, as can he for his , out of his salary.

Mollygo

Who said anything about means testing?

The decision about WFA was made by deciding who they think could afford to do without it and who they think needed it. We already know about those on the cusp.

The basic annual salary of a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons is £91,346, plus expenses, from April 2024.

Starmer is entitled to unlimited expenses for subsistence and travel.

The basic annual salary of a pensioner is nowhere near that.

This exchange, from your previous post in response to ^Wyllow3* was what I was referring to Mollygo?
‘But is it right that all MPs can claim the same level of expenses from the public purse, no matter how rich, or poor they are?
Surely that sort of unfairness is what the government are trying to put a stop to with scrapping the WFA for all but the poorest?’
Perhaps I misinterpreted.

If the WFA is means tested why not MPs expenses?

In both the private and public sectors generally, expenses for equivalent levels of responsibility are not means tested and you'd get laughed out of court for suggesting for example that managers or directors should be "means tested" on agreed expenses.

What matters is a reasonable and fair expenses system. You can't set an "amount" because some MP's live a very long way from London, may live in differing areas where its cheaper or more expensive: some MP's have dependants at home who may or may not have different needs as in being at home all day.

In every job I’ve ever done, expenses are paid for unavoidable costs like travel, overnight stays if working out of area etc. if you means test MPs, many would not even get expenses for maintaining a base in London or travelling there from their constituency? If you also stopped donors supporting them, I just don’t think anybody would want to be an MP.

Fried Green tomatoes, what Starmer was gifted is trivial compared with past gifts/governement in the Johnson era and also the habit of bennies for friends on contracts awarded etc.

We now have moved on politically and say, for th first time historically "no, it was wrong in principle", those supporting the Labour Party in GN have said so: beating a tired drum.

The whole clothes thing is just a massive red herring. God help us really. Lammy and KS have more to worry about ( as do the rest of us).

What is to be gained by this snipeing and belittleing and one up man ship?

I don't know anything about the wife of KS. She keeps herself and her family under the radar, somehow.

eggplant if KS and his fellow MPs hadn’t been so busy pulling up the last Government on their freebies then they would not be under so much scrutiny for their freebies

No red herrings, just 21st C politics.

Really, I can't be bothered any more. Take a look at the latest from the Middle East.

eggplant

Really, I can't be bothered any more. Take a look at the latest from the Middle East.

Would that be Hezbollah and exploding pagers?

Lammy today seems to have migrated from clothes to climate change: a better choice.

Grantanow Lammy seems all over the place - I would prefer him to stick to his job spec.

GrannyGravy13

eggplant if KS and his fellow MPs hadn’t been so busy pulling up the last Government on their freebies then they would not be under so much scrutiny for their freebies

No red herrings, just 21st C politics.

Yes but that’s what makes it so interesting. Saying one group were in the wrong for doing something more often than another group doing the same thing has never made it right for the second group before.

Now it appears that wrong-doing on a smaller scale is acceptable.
Who knew?

To be honest I so wanted him to win that I would have sent him a pressie if I thought he wanted one 😂.

This story rumbles along. It’s tarnished his reputation.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202409/medium-803271-img-1044.png https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202409/medium-729543-img-1043.png

Angela Rayner declares acceptance of freebies, doesn’t make it right when she made numerous statements in and out of the H of P ridiculing Conservative MP’s for accepting freebies.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

This story rumbles along. It’s tarnished his reputation.

He needs to get out the Duraglit and shine up his halo again.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

This story rumbles along. It’s tarnished his reputation.

😄I saw a joke in the paper that was a woman holding a baggy suit on a hanger saying to hubby ‘ do you still use this old suit? Am getting a bag of clothes together to send to Downing St.’

Lovetopaint037

To be honest I so wanted him to win that I would have sent him a pressie if I thought he wanted one 😂.

So would I, before the last 6 weeks.

It is the rank hypocrisy that shocks. Five years of Labour denigrating the Tories for everything they did, but immediately the prospect of power is in their sights, quickly revealing themselves to be just as venal.
Waheed Alli seems to exert a sinister amount of influence, (as well as indulging Rayner's execrable taste.)
Apparently Diane Abbott has announced she will oppose Starmer on key issues. Obviously she hasn't been bought any new frocks.

Apparently KS wife Victoria has a nickname now,
“Victoria Sponger”.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Apparently KS wife Victoria has a nickname now,
“Victoria Sponger”.

Along with his new nickname - Free Gear Keir

This name-calling is so childish and pathetic.

I don’t remember Sunak’s wife being called cruel names when she avoided paying almost £20 million in taxes!