Oh, I'm not in any doubt that some public sector and academic people will always be on low salary, and it'd be a huge payrise for most people.
But doctors, lawyers, headteachers, business leaders, etc can all expect to earn much more than an MP—60 million of us, 650 MPs, I'd reduce that to about 500 and substantially increase the base salary, while reducing the incidental expenses they can claim—office expenses and staff are fine, but a cup of coffee? I was bought a beer on MP expenses once.
When salaries were introduced they were set toa suitable level to attract "the best", looking at the current lot, we have nowhere near the best. That's partially due to teh electoral system, but I want the House to have top legal brains, top medical types, etc—the country benefits from having the best in the House, for at least a brief period.
You know Sir Isaac Newton was an MP for awhile? Was in the Convention that passed the Bill of Rights—taking 8 years or so out to do work in the House should be a fairly normal thing for the top acheivers, that it isn't is part of the problem.
Of course, the electoral system is a bigger problem but...
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But doctors, lawyers, headteachers, business leaders, etc can all expect to earn much more than an MP—60 million of us, 650 MPs, I'd reduce that to about 500 and substantially increase the base salary, while reducing the incidental expenses they can claim—office expenses and staff are fine, but a cup of coffee? I was bought a beer on MP expenses once.
When salaries were introduced they were set toa suitable level to attract "the best", looking at the current lot, we have nowhere near the best. That's partially due to teh electoral system, but I want the House to have top legal brains, top medical types, etc—the country benefits from having the best in the House, for at least a brief period.
You know Sir Isaac Newton was an MP for awhile? Was in the Convention that passed the Bill of Rights—taking 8 years or so out to do work in the House should be a fairly normal thing for the top acheivers, that it isn't is part of the problem.
Of course, the electoral system is a bigger problem but...