Am I alone in finding this so tawdry?

I think it’s perfectly acceptable for the prime minister to use helicopters- it probably saves time in a very hectic schedule. In fact, helicopters are always flying over my house…. It’s becoming quite busy!

Ronib I don't have a negative opinion either I am merely describing how it was reported in the media. Actually, unlike most on here I don't have a problem with donations to individuals as long as there is nothing that interferes with the MP's impartiality.
MPs have a difficult life and the salary isn't great. It may seem so to many but it's really not and I think we should either pay them more and stop the individual donations (which is a cost to the public purse) or we should accept that donations to individuals, as long as properly declared, are perfectly OK, whatever they are used for (provided its legal).

eazybee

^I am disappointed at the mess we are in. A green trouser suit is the least of our worries right now, in my opinion.^

It isn't the green trouser suit that is the problem, it is the person wearing it.

Oh dear.

Yes GG13

Starmer is the PM, and in depth scrutiny comes with the job.
And if in depth scrutiny reveals him to be doing something he condemned others for doing, or in this case, things GNs condemned others for doing, then he’s in the wrong for the same reasons they were.

foxie48

Ronib I don't have a negative opinion either I am merely describing how it was reported in the media. Actually, unlike most on here I don't have a problem with donations to individuals as long as there is nothing that interferes with the MP's impartiality.
MPs have a difficult life and the salary isn't great. It may seem so to many but it's really not and I think we should either pay them more and stop the individual donations (which is a cost to the public purse) or we should accept that donations to individuals, as long as properly declared, are perfectly OK, whatever they are used for (provided its legal).

Blimey!

They knew what the salary was before they put themselves up for election,.

Nobody is forced to be a MP

If they didn’t realise hat being a MP is as you put it a difficult life then they shouldn’t be in the job!

Nobody in business (and that is what politics is) gives anyone anything without the thought of being remembered when they need something

A fireman, police officer, nurses, doctors and ambulance workers have difficult lives/jobs …

Matter of opinion GG13 and happy to disagree.

GrannyGravy13

Good post.
If any of the posters on here or elsewhere have no problem with freebies, why were they so vociferous in condemning BJ, or Sunak, or indeed any politician for doing it.
Re Prime ministers, with their rent free accommodation, double salaries and unlimited subsistence allowances -paying them more, is like a rather sick joke.

I really don't remember all these vociferous threads about Boris and freebies, had never seen anything about Sunak and helicopters until recently.

Where are these threads?

I can remember threads criticising other things during the tory govt, but freebies, not really, apart from how much was spent on wallpaper.

Oh dear, just heard an interviewer trying to get Starmer to admit to how bad it looks. He is, sadly, disappointing me more quickly than Blair. Come on, Labour, you can do better than this!

foxie48

Matter of opinion GG13 and happy to disagree.

A fireman, police officer, nurses, doctors and ambulance workers have difficult lives/jobs …

Really?
Perhaps not all of those have stressful jobs, but I would think the majority do.

MissAdventure

I really don't remember all these vociferous threads about Boris and freebies, had never seen anything about Sunak and helicopters until recently.

Where are these threads?

I can remember threads criticising other things during the tory govt, but freebies, not really, apart from how much was spent on wallpaper.

And there was the tree house.

Police officers, firefighters, nurses, doctors, paramedics, and a fair few others have extremely difficult jobs, and not particularly good pay either.
Reading some of the comments on here make me think how privileged and shielded some of our Gransnetters must have been if they truly think an MP has a more difficult life than some of those mentioned above. The hours are unsocial, that’s true, but a better salary than those mentioned above, regardless of qualifications, subsidised food and drink, extremely generous expenses. Really? They have difficult lives/jobs? Well they can always go back to their previous jobs if it’s too difficult or stressful for them.

maddyfour

Police officers, firefighters, nurses, doctors, paramedics, and a fair few others have extremely difficult jobs, and not particularly good pay either.
Reading some of the comments on here make me think how privileged and shielded some of our Gransnetters must have been if they truly think an MP has a more difficult life than some of those mentioned above. The hours are unsocial, that’s true, but a better salary than those mentioned above, regardless of qualifications, subsidised food and drink, extremely generous expenses. Really? They have difficult lives/jobs? Well they can always go back to their previous jobs if it’s too difficult or stressful for them.

I don’t think that our public service workers have to stand at the back of station platforms for fear of being pushed under a train the way one of our local Conservative MP’s did. Maybe they don’t go back to their previous jobs because they genuinely believe they can make a difference to peoples lives? I know our newly elected Labour MP believes that.

Try telling that to the young police officers who have recently been on duty during the riots, or the medical staff faced with abuse from some patients.
Firefighters bringing out the bodies of children whom they were unable to save.

I'm appalled at the dismissive attitude some on here have towards our public service staff.

Allira

Try telling that to the young police officers who have recently been on duty during the riots, or the medical staff faced with abuse from some patients.
Firefighters bringing out the bodies of children whom they were unable to save.

I'm appalled at the dismissive attitude some on here have towards our public service staff.

I’m not dismissive of our public service staff. In fact I’ve been critical of people begrudging nursing staff a decent pay rise after standing on their doorsteps clapping for them not long ago ( even more so after listening to the doctor who was speaking at the covid enquiry yesterday; it was heartbreaking). Neither am I begrudging other public service workers decent pay rises. Just trying to point out that if, as an MP you do your job properly it isn’t exactly a cushy well paid number.

If its done well, its a very tough and responsible job, both
forming all that concerns our lives politically /socially, foreign and international concerns, safety and the next generation, and the caring for the people in their constituency.
Often under threat.

Respect for those who do it well whatever their POV.

MayBee70

MissAdventure

I really don't remember all these vociferous threads about Boris and freebies, had never seen anything about Sunak and helicopters until recently.

Where are these threads?

I can remember threads criticising other things during the tory govt, but freebies, not really, apart from how much was spent on wallpaper.

And there was the tree house.

Luckily for Johnson the £150,000 tree house at Chequers for Wilfred wasn’t allowed to be constructed on grounds of safety. Johnson badly wanted it and had a donor lined up to fund it.

Interesting how what is actually said as opposed to what people think has been said! At no point have I compared the working lives of MPs with police officers, firemen, doctors or indeed any other occupation. I said MPs have a difficult job and they do.
They usually split their lives between two homes often having little contact with their children during the week, they are subjected to threats of violence, can and do have intrusion into their private lives. They have no job security. If they are in government they are basically on duty 24/7, every day of the year as has been evidenced when an emergency has occurred there is an expectation that govt will spring into action. They are no longer free to do many of the things that we take for granted without harassment or being accompanied by security.. Despite what some seem to think, many MPs take a large pay cut when they are elected. fwiw my daughter is a hospital doctor so I am very well aware of the stress she is under when at work, however when she is on leave, no one bothers her and she can go about her life in complete privacy. Thank goodness, she's yet to be pilloried in the media for her choice in clothes or her choice in friends nor has it been suggested she should buy her own scrubs because she owns a nice house!

Despite what some seem to think, many MPs take a large pay cut when they are elected.
And many do not.
It’s like changing your job because you want to do something different. Your choice to make that change.
Hard to believe that an unquantified number of MPs were on over £92,000 pa before they took up their place in parliament? Or those elected to cabinet were on over £150,000 before giving up their jobs, not counting those who are still earning doing a second job to keep their hand in.
On duty 24/7?
Did all MPs rush back to parliament during the riots?
^ 5 Aug 2024 — Sir Keir Starmer has rejected calls for Parliament to be recalled in the face of rioting on Britain's streets.^
This is presumably a lie then?

Many new MP’s were busy setting up their new offices, taking on staff etc at that time.

foxie48

Interesting how what is actually said as opposed to what people think has been said! At no point have I compared the working lives of MPs with police officers, firemen, doctors or indeed any other occupation. I said MPs have a difficult job and they do.
They usually split their lives between two homes often having little contact with their children during the week, they are subjected to threats of violence, can and do have intrusion into their private lives. They have no job security. If they are in government they are basically on duty 24/7, every day of the year as has been evidenced when an emergency has occurred there is an expectation that govt will spring into action. They are no longer free to do many of the things that we take for granted without harassment or being accompanied by security.. Despite what some seem to think, many MPs take a large pay cut when they are elected. fwiw my daughter is a hospital doctor so I am very well aware of the stress she is under when at work, however when she is on leave, no one bothers her and she can go about her life in complete privacy. Thank goodness, she's yet to be pilloried in the media for her choice in clothes or her choice in friends nor has it been suggested she should buy her own scrubs because she owns a nice house!

Oh!

Rather like being in HM Forces except many of them don't get home for months at a time.
For less than half the pay of an MP in many cases.

Allira

Try telling that to the young police officers who have recently been on duty during the riots, or the medical staff faced with abuse from some patients.
Firefighters bringing out the bodies of children whom they were unable to save.

I'm appalled at the dismissive attitude some on here have towards our public service staff.

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

MayBee70

Many new MP’s were busy setting up their new offices, taking on staff etc at that time.

Oh diddums for them, the poor busy things.

People become MP’s for all sorts of reasons, mainly ambition I should think tho there will be a few here and there in every Party who think they can make a difference.
For the younger ones it will be usually a massive salary rise I bet unless they worked in the City.

Oreo

People become MP’s for all sorts of reasons, mainly ambition I should think tho there will be a few here and there in every Party who think they can make a difference.
For the younger ones it will be usually a massive salary rise I bet unless they worked in the City.

No. My MP is not doing it for the money I can assure you.