MPs heard today that if they step down from Parliament or are defeated at an election, their 'resettlement' grant (which can amount to between £30,000 and £60,000) will be reduced to two months salary. So they may well choke on their rice and gruel (after today's news, it's all they can afford) when they read about the bumper payoff to Glasgow City Council's Director of Childrens' Services, Margaret Doran. She trousered £278,000 as a payoff after the council decided to break up her department.
Ms Doran is married to Labour MP Michael Connarty.
Another gift to the SNP.
Its interesting how we are all focusing on MP's expenses.As anyone looked at the enormous pay and expenses,and golden handshakes of Councillors of local Councils?What about so called 'boomarang',were some Councillors get generous golden handshakes,and then move to another Council? to another fat salary and expenses?
ReplyDeleteNo doubt exactly this differential will be the argument used by many MPs to argue that their ridiculous packages should not be reduced. Hopefully, once they have been shorn, it will mean that MPs will attack the multitudinous fat cat public sector packages that have grown inexorably during NuLab's time in Government.
ReplyDeleteIf there is going to be substantial reform of MPs expenses, which are proxy salaries, there should be equal reform of local government remuneration. Regardless of what a Prime Minster's salary ought to be, nobody in govt/local govt/quangos should earn more. Local govt/quangos are rather worse leeches than MPs.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair to her, Margaret Doran crammed a lot in to her two years, presiding over the closure of twenty schools in Glasgow. Council leader Stephen Purcell praises this as a "tremendous legacy".
ReplyDeleteAnd all of it pales beside the EU where the auditors next month will no doubt fail to sign off the accounts for the 15th year in succession.
ReplyDeleteSpending £250,000 for an unused shower for Sarkozy and £23,000 a head on a banquet, as reports have it today, show that largesse with MPs and councils is small beer. But how on earth is EC overspending and fiddling ever to be brought under control?
It started at the top with the Blairs.
ReplyDeleteIt went all the way down from there to include grubby local councillors.
And now,ladies and gentlemen, the best man in the whole of the EU is the lying, stealing, smirking British former Prime Minister, President of All The Thieves, the man with the trillion dollar smile, yes it's
Toooooooooooooooony Blair!!!
It really does beggar belief.
ReplyDeleteThe public sector needs done to it what Maggie did to the Unions, and for the same reason. Out of control.
Is David Cameron the man to do it?
Or is David Cameron the man to ban the standby switch on my telly?
I know which is te more useful of the two.
Put into perspective, Gordon's salary for 2 years.
ReplyDeleteBy definition MPs are on contract for a period not exceeding five years. That they know up-front, and knowing that is the deal, put themselves forward for "appointment". The anomaly in the system is that they get any compensation at all. Failure to be reappointed (deemed not to represent) is the risk MPs take. They should not be compensated for failure.
ReplyDeleteInteresting programme on R4 3 weeks or so ago on the matter of Council heads' pay, and how it is rocketing.
ReplyDeleteSuffolk had recently appointed a new head, and she was earning almost 50% more than her predecessor - £220k, FFS - all justified, as ever, as being the going rate for such a top person.
The body which advises on the required pay levels is, apparently, - yes, you've got it - comprised of Council heads.
This is a much embezzlement from the public purse as MPs over-claiming.
They're all on the take. MP and wife on PM, whingeing that she wouldn't be able to carry on working under the new terms. Apart from the fact there are others in need of work who can do the job, two members of their family are on the public tit.
Don't forget Gordon's salary AND his expenses which transgress all the restrictive legislation that our businesses have to fall under.
ReplyDeleteThe whole things wrong on so many levels - it's public sector admin, it doesn't create wealth and these servants should not be paid these ridiculous monies via robbing our wealth from the private sector.
Could we have a swear-box for using euphemistic expressions like "trousered".
ReplyDeleteFrom my (admittedly limited) experience of lap-dancing clubs, I can assure you that is not where the ladies stuff the loot.
This would be the same Glasgow council (Labour led for yonks hence Glasgow's status as the poor man of Europe) that whined about the SNP taking away money from Glasgow projects.
ReplyDeleteThey shouldn't receive any 'payoff', in fact they should be flogged repeatedly until they beg for their pathetic, wretched lives.
ReplyDelete:D
So I expect head teachers get a far greater salary and a golden hand shake courtesy of taxpayers than our little Westminster serfs!
ReplyDeleteI can hear them lot in London hollering loudly, yes , the echoes are bouncing off the hills.
Once and for all, a payrise for MPs, then that IS IT.
Unless we do away with MPs altogether, which sounds attractive, don't you think?
So how much will Glasgow Corporation be paying off their Leisure director,one Bridget McConnell wife of Labour MSP and former first Minister Jack McConnell?
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way, Glasgow's Labour Leaders must know Mrs Connarty since her husband was in the 1990s leader of Stirling District Council.
Oofy, an EU 2008-9 budget leak document indicates that the EU is planning to tax us directly.
ReplyDeleteThe rebates will go, too.
I hope Klaus holds out.
why are you always sticking up for MPs Iain.
ReplyDeleteYou are too close to the Westminster elite.
There is something very elitist and dare I say Burkean about you.
The MPs who were waiting for this should consider their place in parliament now.
ReplyDeleteA new generation of MPs devoid of taint need to take the positions who thought being in parliament was free access to inflience and a well paid job.
Being an MP is about what you can do for the country not what it can pay the individual. I am confident that those of ability will go for it anyway even if it means a pay cut.
Being an MP is a priveledge not a job to those who think they are worthy and are owed a free ticket.
Being part of the commons is what you can offer the country not what it can offer people in terms of pay. Of course the less well off should have means to be representitives if it means rented westminster flats that means an elected member uses or an 'parliamentry estate' where residences near paeliament are assigned. That is the only way forward in terms of putting trust back into MPs. If they have westminster flats already they can always let them out.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteit has always been considered very bad form to insult an individual by over tipping in the third world.
Suffice to say that to present a tip disproportionate to their annual wage is to imply 'you work all year for what change I can afford to throw away'.
In government nowadays that these parasites (for the do nothing of value more than was done for many generations, if not less) they are now so self congratulatory as to demean their clients 'e pluribus unum' such that they are paid many multiples of the annual wage of those they were funded to serve - just to be shot of them!
It speaks volumes of the contempt in which society holds these vile people.
Regards,
Greg L-W.
This type of huge payment to council officials has been going on for some years under ZaNULab. Probably took their que from a Tony Bliar?
ReplyDeletePete-s
I see that Tone is now saying he will only take the Presidency is its made into a big enough job for him.
ReplyDeletePresumably we will then have to bow or prostrate whenever he enters a room - that's what unelected potentates demand isn't it
Presume within days she will be re-engaged as a consultant.
ReplyDeleteIt occurs to me: if you bought some cows and started a business selling their milk and milk products, it would be Iain Dale Dairy.
ReplyDeleteTell me, as a Conservative, is it wrong of me to what Labour to take a hiding from the SNP in Glasgow?
ReplyDeleteThey've ruled that city like some corrupt nepotistic african statelet for far too long.
The only testament they have to that rule is continued social decline and breakdown.
Local councilors and officials fingering their necks?
ReplyDeleteGood.
These rip offs have GOT to be stopped.
I guess if MPS do find themselves on the breadline after the current kerfuffle they might have some sympathy for the poor bloody workers, you know the people hit by Brown's 10% tax band gimmick and who seemingly and shamefully pay more tax than anyone.
ReplyDeleteThey might also decide to do something about the overpaid PC brigade who have done so much to ruin our public services.
I'm not holding my breath though, lamp-posts and paino wire seem the only way ahead I'm afraid.
I can't see why MPs should get the allowance if they voluntarily stand down, but I think it's fair if they are defeated at an election. After all, in many places now, especially after reorganisation, people have to apply for the job nearest to the one they had and if they don't get it they get redundancy. Two months salary seems pretty tough.
ReplyDelete