MP’s demand 32% pay increase, for MP’s workers MP’s on a workers wage!

All in this together? Now MPs demand a 32% pay increase as £65,000 they earn 'is not enough' • Anonymous survey by expenses watchdog reveals extraordinary demand to earn three times the average salary • Tories want the most - £97,000 - but just one MP wants less than £40,000 • MPs currently earn £65,738 but politicians want £86,250 MPS are demanding a 32 per cent pay rise, after complaining they cannot live on £65,000 a year. A survey reveals 69 per cent believe they are ‘underpaid’ following the introduction of a new expenses regime that forces them to provide receipts for all claims. On average they said they deserved to be paid £86,250 a year – an increase of almost £21,000. One in 12 said MPs deserved a salary of more than £100,000 and just 6 per cent said they were paid too much. Only 15 per cent thought MPs should be forced to swap their gold-plated pensions for defined contribution schemes. And more than half thought they should hang on to their controversial ‘golden goodbye’ payments, even if they quit voluntarily. A separate survey of members of the public found most think MPs are already paid too much. On average they suggested MPs’ pay should be cut by more than £5,000. The studies were commissioned by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, which is reviewing whether MPs’ pay should be changed from its current level of £65,738. The watchdog said it was not proposing to introduce performance-related pay, regional pay or to take outside earnings into account. 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. This is a huge insult to the millions of workers across the country facing benefit cuts, pay freezes and so on. Back in the 80’s militant MP’s Dave nellist and Terry Fields and Pat Wall all took the wage of a average skilled worker no more and no expenses. Only enough to do their job. The socialist party proudly stands by this principled stand and any of our future elected representatives will abide by this too as we do not feel we should elevate ourselves above those we have been elected to represent. Many MP’s cry wolf saying to us if we are not paid this huge salary this will put off people coming into politics. We say good lets keep those middle class fat cats out of representing ordinary working class people lets have MP’s who live and earn the same s those who vote them in and truly do understand their plight not just become a MP to advance their career and bank account. MPs are already very privileged, receiving a basic wage almost three times the average. That, and the level of their generous expenses allowances, insulate and isolates them from the normal problems affecting the majority of the people they represent. The Socialist Party requires all its members elected into public positions, such as MPs, to take the same wage as that of a skilled worker. WhenDave Nellist, Terry Fields and Pat Wall were MPs in the 1980s that worked out at around 40% of an MP's wage or the equivalent of £26,000 today. The 'surplus' was donated to socialist and trade union campaigns and causes, and accounts were regularly published in newsletters to be transparent. Expenses should only be allowed where clearly necessary to do the job, and again be published and accountable, particularly to the working people locally who had elected that representative. Much of the protocols of an MP's life, and the privileges lavished on them, are designed to suck them into defence of the system, so that (whether consciously or not) they feel more in common with the rulers than the ruled. Breaking with those traditions, living in the area that you represent, and on the same wages, facing the same bills and problems as working people in a constituency can go some way to countering those pressures, and start restoring faith that elected, socialist officials would be different. Only the Socialist Party regularly and consistently argues for that, and has the track record to prove it is not just simply words. A recent report showed that only 7% of current MPs have a manual worker background. What we need is a party that will put forward socialist policies and stand working-class candidates, who will only take a worker's wage. Only then will most voters truly get MPs they deserve.