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MPs suggest a 32% wage increase...for MPs • Page 3

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  • LeoliansBro 11 Jan 2013 11:44:33 35,066 posts
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    vizzini wrote:
    Being a board member of a company is not a job, it a vocational commitment to try to improve your company, as sold to the shareholders.
    To highlight why your undercooked thought is wrong this time.
    Sadly the high profile career politicians aren't trained or skilled at anything real, to be capable of everyone being in it together. I doubt they can install an OS, change a plug or even change a light bulb in a duck pond feature.
    Personally I don't care whether my MP can change a plug. I can't. I could learn, but then so could she.

    LB, you really are a massive geek.

  • Chopsen 11 Jan 2013 11:46:41 13,727 posts
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    It's a bit like when it was headline line news that X number of MPs didn't know the price of a pint of milk.

    Well, ok yes that is a very basic piece of info, but does it *actually* matter?

    Thanks for expressing interest in my signature!

  • LeoliansBro 11 Jan 2013 11:48:05 35,066 posts
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    It's a crude catch-out to try to show they don't understand the needs of their electorate.

    'Install an OS' suggests vizzini is pretty far detached from what the average person knows as well.

    LB, you really are a massive geek.

  • the_dudefather 11 Jan 2013 11:48:26 8,114 posts
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    Well, maybe if you plebs had some initiative you could get a better wage too /smug

    Ask me anything about Dungeon Keeper

  • bitch_tits_zero_nine 11 Jan 2013 11:50:31 4,893 posts
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    Probably not. I think in society today, celebs and media personalities are more closely related peers than business people.

    The sort of trivial shit that commands a politicians attention these days is funny.
  • RedSparrows 11 Jan 2013 11:53:17 16,951 posts
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    I don't happen to keep the price of milk handy in my mind.

    Nor do I know how to change a plug. But the point is, as LB points out, is that you want someone, ultimately, capable of learning how to do that.

    And also learn how to run a government department, or constituency with the entire world/local millieu waiting for your one mistake. Shitty job, rather them than me! Even if some of them are cunts.

    Edited by RedSparrows at 11:53:49 11-01-2013
  • glaeken 11 Jan 2013 11:53:48 10,366 posts
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    I don't know the price of a pint of milk. I also have no idea what the price of petrol per litre is to the consternation of various old folk I know who seem to make a hobby of knowing what all the garages in the local area charge for petrol. All I know is milk is not at a price where I need to take note of how much it costs and when I fill my car up it comes to roughly £60.

    I can change a plug though :-) Not knowing how to change a plug is pretty fucking numpty. It's not like it's actually hard to do. What do you do if you need to put a plug on something? Call an electrician?

    Edited by glaeken at 11:56:14 11-01-2013
  • RedSparrows 11 Jan 2013 11:55:40 16,951 posts
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    I think I do too, really.

    If my girlfriend is there to assist me.

    /flops about uselessly
  • bitch_tits_zero_nine 11 Jan 2013 11:56:02 4,893 posts
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    Yep rather have a dynamic thinker than somebody that can digest and regurgitate information I guess.
  • RedSparrows 11 Jan 2013 11:59:40 16,951 posts
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    Depends - sometimes you need the digesters too!

    Oh it's all so confusing. I need money to cope.
  • bitch_tits_zero_nine 11 Jan 2013 12:07:08 4,893 posts
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    Too much emphasis is put on factual accuracy imo though. Having to appear to be infallible must be a fucking nightmare job environment.
  • Khanivor 11 Jan 2013 12:20:35 38,677 posts
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    An MPs job is to represent. You don't necessarily have to pay a lot to get compotency in that field. The work is done by the civil servants, plenty of whom get paid a damn sight more than 65k a year.
  • Rens11 11 Jan 2013 12:44:15 1,047 posts
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    "On average, Tories said their salary should be £96,740, while Lib Dems thought the right amount was £78,361 and Labour £77,322. Other parties put the figure at £75,091"

    Surprising?

    Don’t kid yourself, Jimmy. If a cow ever got the chance, he’d eat you and everyone you care about!

  • Chopsen 11 Jan 2013 12:45:45 13,727 posts
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    No. But this is: BOO!

    Thanks for expressing interest in my signature!

  • RyanDS 11 Jan 2013 13:03:57 7,626 posts
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    One point to remember is that MPs are basically on a contract as well for a fixed term, afterwards they need to find a new job. So the salary has to reflect the uncertainty afterwards.

    Anyway, they do work long hours, and generally are underpaid compared to comparable jobs in the private, and even public sector. Do you think for example that MPs deserve less salary than the average company director in the UK?

    Personally I would like to see salaries increased by a fairly large amount, but the expenses and other perks scaled way back.
  • whatfruit 11 Jan 2013 13:11:41 402 posts
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    Chopsen wrote:
    The amount of shit you put up with as an MP: I wouldn't want to do it. If you're not making the job attractive, you're going to only attract idealist and extremists with an axe to grind.
    what is it full of now?
  • mal 11 Jan 2013 13:15:05 20,497 posts
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    @whatfruit Yes men, to a man.
    LeoliansBro wrote:
    The salary element is most pertinent to businessmen, hence why I said it.
    My experience with most of the senior managers I've worked under is not that great either. If I was asked whether I wanted them or the current shower of incompetents running the country I'd have a hard time deciding, although I guess you can at least say I've only evidence that my ex-managers are shit at running a well functioning workplace, whereas we've all good evidence that the current lot are pretty hopeless at running a country.

    Edited by mal at 13:15:59 11-01-2013

    Cubby didn't know how to turn off sigs!

  • RedSparrows 11 Jan 2013 13:27:25 16,951 posts
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    whatfruit wrote:
    Chopsen wrote:
    The amount of shit you put up with as an MP: I wouldn't want to do it. If you're not making the job attractive, you're going to only attract idealist and extremists with an axe to grind.
    what is it full of now?
    The exact opposite? [Unless you're a chap with a lean to the left that puts you in the Internationale bracket]

    Edited by RedSparrows at 13:28:04 11-01-2013
  • vizzini 11 Jan 2013 13:37:32 970 posts
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    @RedSparrows

    Interesting how my point about civil servant's wages (which MPs are), and using money for things it is taxed for, was completely bypassed.

    But on the issue of wired plugs and light bulbs, just how exactly was the big society idea supposed to work? Especially if the people pushing that (stealth mechanism to back door privatize and make people redundant) can't even contribute such a simple task? Ones the elderly might actually need help with (in a big society). When most people roll up their sleeves it is for the purpose of getting stuck in.

    Dynamic thinkers. You must be kidding? Your average EG gamer will be much better at lateral problem solving, from solving puzzles in games at high speed compared to the Daily Mail reading MPs.

    I also find it completely nuts, that people that preside over government employment policy sought out educations and skillsets in areas that have very limited career prospects. Flawed political policy? Or flawed life policy?
  • bitch_tits_zero_nine 11 Jan 2013 13:42:50 4,893 posts
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    Don't think "big society" was supposed to work in any specific way. Just permeate and colour decision making; so the people in power could take credit for anything with even a slight socially responsible flavour.

    You probably already know this though.

    /shrug
  • glaeken 11 Jan 2013 13:45:42 10,366 posts
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    @vizzini I am not sure that is just MP's. I think people in general are just less capable when it comes to practical tasks these days. The MP's are just reflecting the reality of us becoming an extremely cossetted society.
  • Bremenacht 11 Jan 2013 13:56:51 11,167 posts
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    vizzini wrote:
    Interesting how my point about civil servant's wages (which MPs are), and using money for things it is taxed for, was completely bypassed.
    If civil servants got a nice payrise, the rest of the working population would ask 'why can't we have a pay-rise too?'. So it's clearly not going to happen, and most people here will not see any point in arguing over it.

    This post is unsuitable for those with a high rumour-sensitivity.

  • vizzini 11 Jan 2013 14:27:28 970 posts
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    @Bremenacht

    I think the public realise that freezing civil servant's pay against inflation is actually bad for private sector pay competition(like you mention). It also wouldn't be a pay rise, just a reduction in losing so much money to the fudged measure of inflation.

    32% is a typo anyway. It should read 3.2%, and the answer would still be no against their own austerity plan.

    Last, but not least. MPs are first class Civil Servants. Why are the ~900 or so of them special, compared to any other civil servant?
  • neilka 11 Jan 2013 14:30:39 11,987 posts
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    I don't think it's a typo.

    if you have nothing intresting to say then you might as well just throw your bags on the truck and drive away

  • Rhythm 11 Jan 2013 14:38:06 2,042 posts
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    mcmonkeyplc wrote:
    My MP is Vince Cable.
    I've got Ed Balls

    (and my MP is Ed Balls)
  • Jeepers 11 Jan 2013 14:40:56 12,578 posts
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    vizzini wrote:
    Last, but not least. MPs are first class Civil Servants. Why are the ~900 or so of them special, compared to any other civil servant?
    This site really needs a Joey emoticon.
  • vizzini 11 Jan 2013 14:41:54 970 posts
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    @neilka

    I meant it reads like a typo, I know they are incredulous with their level of hypocrisy.
  • whatfruit 11 Jan 2013 15:00:22 402 posts
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    LeoliansBro wrote:
    Shikasama wrote:
    RedSparrows wrote:
    Of course there's corruption and nepotism and back-slapping et al, but if we aren't going to pay our representatives decently then we might as well pack the whole thing in, and ask everyone to live on idealism - do you? Would you?
    We could try asking them to live on 65 grand a year, an extremely generous pension plan and a very nice setup for their future plans as board members/after dinner speakers/stand up comedians.
    Or they could have all of those things in the private sector plus double the salary.

    I'd rather want to know that MPs continue to be drawn from the most talented businessmen available. It's certainly not always the case, but depressing the salary (partially out of envy) is a step in the wrong direction.
    The counter argument to that is 65k is the established market rate for the postion of MP. The country operating at this rate of pay for some time in a competent and efficent manner. If they are unhappy with the market rate then they should leave.

    Edited by whatfruit at 15:02:23 11-01-2013
  • PazJohnMitch 11 Jan 2013 15:11:35 5,673 posts
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    Ask anyone if they deserve more money and they will say yes.

    The fact that a few MPs said they were happy with their pay is the only thing from this that surprises me.

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