How ridiculous is this ? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7486612.stm

[bazwillrun]

it is beyond belief that yet again MPs get to "vote" on their own pay and conditions etc.

this is a friggin joke, it should be decided by an outside unbiased organisation

conflict of interest doesnt even begin to cover it, greedy schits with noses in the trough is a start

[jake-the-peg]

Did you read the article?

Firstly it's their expenses and not pay - minor point I know.

Secondly this is to introduce reforms to bring about exactly what you suggest.

One of the options they're voting on is to have them decided by an outside organisation - this is the Government's favoured option.

The government don't have the right to impose a settlement on MPs - you'd have Gordon Brown setting Cameron's salary and approving his expenses! So changes like this have to be voted on.

[Quinlad]

We should hold separate elections to elect a body of people from around the UK who would come together to debate and then vote on how much MPs should be paid.

Of course, they'd need to be paid too. And it wouldn't be right for them to decide for themselves how much.

So we should hold another set of elections to elect a body of people from around the UK who would come together to debate and then vote on this.

Mind you, they'd need to be paid too. And it wouldn't be right for them to decide for themselves how much.

So we should hold yet another set of elections to elect a body of people from around the UK who would come together to debate and then vote on this.

Actually, they'd need to be paid too. And it wouldn't be right for them to decide for themselves how much. Hmmmm.

[dundurn]

There was a documentary some months ago where two Labour MPs were debating this very issue. MPs had been awarded a pay rise and one of the pair was arguing that they had a perfect right to it since the rise had been calculated according to an approved formula. The other disagreed - he came from a union background and said he found it morally unacceptable to receive any more than the wages of a time-served tradesman.

My personal view is that MPs (and any group of workers denied the right to strike, like Police Officers)should have their wages based on some fixed multiple of the standard Old Age Pension. If the country can't afford to pay its pensioners, then regrettably these other groups will suffer accordingly. On the other hand if MPs see fit to award themselves more money , then it's only fair that pensioners and police share in the spoils.

[sp1214]

An MPs pay is linked to a top civil servants salary. But its the expenses they don't want to give up. Just look at what they have claimed for in the past.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7264418 .stm

[jno]

Quinlad, I'm campaigning for election to the third-tier pay review body. Meetings to be held in the Ritz.