It's A Hard Life

[davebro3]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-68133873

"We're in danger of making politics something only hedge fund donors, young spin doctors and failed trade unionists can afford to do."

I thought that was already the case!

[barry1010]

Jess Phillips is from a very ordinary family, she's not the only one

[davebro3]

does she have a £2000 pm mortgage?

[davebro3]

actually my MP was born on a council estate - I was being a little facetious!

[barry1010]

Betty Boothroyd was a force to be reckoned with, daughter of millworkers, raised in Dewsbury.

I have no idea what sort of mortgage Jess Phillips has but I do believe politicians salaries are on the low side.

[piggynose]

And there's me thinking they get lots of perks! To compensate for such a measly wage!

[Canary42]

Considering how infrequently they turn up for work, and how they behave when they get there, there emoluments are more than adequate IMHO.

https://ibb.co/mybrSjy

  

 

[Canary42]

*their

[barry1010]

Do we want our MPs to be in Parliament every day - or working in their constituency?

I know exactly what my MP is doing every week, his working diary is public.

[barry1010]

It's not a job I could do, nor would want to do.  

[davebro3]

I wonder what job he has lined up that will better his ministerial salary AND be less stressful.

[bednobs]

https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Business-and-Finance/Question1861621.html0

[barry1010]

Whatever he does he will probably get a lot less abuse from the public. 

[barry1010]

Dave, I don't think he'll do to badly.  From Wiki:

Before entering Parliament, he had a career in biomedical venture capital for fifteen years, during which he founded and financed four biomedical start-ups

[davebro3]

So he's pretty well off anyway - probably doesn't even need the mortgage & can easily afford to pay it.

The pay issue smacks of an excuse to me.

[barry1010]

He's divorced so who knows what financial arrangements he made with his ex-wife.  Many people spend up to their income and when circumstances change have to make adjustments.

[JACKSON-REACHER]

He gets £118K and his mortgage is £24K.

Which after mortgage payments leaves him with a little under 8 grand to live on.

If that task is too difficult for him, perhaps he shouldn't be a minister.

[JDavis]

Why can't he just get a smaller house?

[naomi24]

After tax and insurance he gets about £72,000.    Mortgage £24,000, council tax, insurances, utility bills ... etc ... not a great deal really.

[lankeela]

George Freeman is my MP and is a very hard working one at that.  He regularly gives updates via his website and facebook, and frequently holds surgeries in our local towns and drop ins at supermarkets etc.  He is approachable and has responded to any requests for information and has taken up many cases for his constituents.  All this even though he was a Minister and he frequently attended the HOC.  I will certainly be voting for him and I am sure many of our local constituents will be.  I was a count clerk at the last few elections and seeing the pile of votes for him going up and up was heartwarming.  

 

[Deskdiary]

His net salary is approx £6k a month, so £4k after his mortgage.

In addition, as Naomi has pointed out, on top of this he'll have council tax, utilities, insurance etc...

As somebody has previously said, we do not know his personal financial position, such as any payments he may be having to make to his ex-wife - for all we know he's paying her mortgage as well.

So his net income after everything is paid for could be low.

Strange that Jackson-Reacher doesn't know the difference between gross and net - I would have thought that is an easy concept to grasp.