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| How much should MPs earn? Radio review | How much should MPs earn? Radio review |
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| "It's a good deal for the taxpayer," said Ian Kennedy, head of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa), talking exclusively to a muted Victoria Derbyshire on 5Live on Thursday morning. The deal? The 11% rise in MP's pay, feverishly critiqued, left and right. The taxpayer? Livid. | "It's a good deal for the taxpayer," said Ian Kennedy, head of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa), talking exclusively to a muted Victoria Derbyshire on 5Live on Thursday morning. The deal? The 11% rise in MP's pay, feverishly critiqued, left and right. The taxpayer? Livid. |
| "What planet are these Ipsa people from in the first place?" said Steve, from somewhere, presumably Earth. "I put it to you that we need a pay policy whereby politicians only earn the average working wage, that way they'll be incentivised to raise the average working wage." The consequence of which would surely be a much bigger price to pay, but let's come back to that in a minute. | "What planet are these Ipsa people from in the first place?" said Steve, from somewhere, presumably Earth. "I put it to you that we need a pay policy whereby politicians only earn the average working wage, that way they'll be incentivised to raise the average working wage." The consequence of which would surely be a much bigger price to pay, but let's come back to that in a minute. |
| Talk radio, archetyped as Cabbie FM, really does comes into its own around a big, pointless, political issue of the day. As evenings on BBC World Service or early morning LBC show, the more important and serious the story – say, Syria – the quieter the debate. Give us something meaty (that is, obvious) – whether MPs should or shouldn't take a £7k payrise – and suddenly, the floodgates of Big Talk open. | Talk radio, archetyped as Cabbie FM, really does comes into its own around a big, pointless, political issue of the day. As evenings on BBC World Service or early morning LBC show, the more important and serious the story – say, Syria – the quieter the debate. Give us something meaty (that is, obvious) – whether MPs should or shouldn't take a £7k payrise – and suddenly, the floodgates of Big Talk open. |
| Understandably, plenty of callers were put out by the idea of an MP "making only 2.8 more times the average national wage" (nice one, Kennedy), when a reported one in five families are using food banks. "What it is, is, it's a £7,000 rise," said Mick, on the line to Derbyshire, upset about just that. "Or an £11,000 rise," continued Mick unsure. "Or an 11% rise. Or whatever ...", his argument trailing somewhere between the producer's pre-interview prep and Derbyshire's own attempt to get a handle on her caller. Are you arguing about the principle of the rise, or the timing? She asked. "Everything!" | Understandably, plenty of callers were put out by the idea of an MP "making only 2.8 more times the average national wage" (nice one, Kennedy), when a reported one in five families are using food banks. "What it is, is, it's a £7,000 rise," said Mick, on the line to Derbyshire, upset about just that. "Or an £11,000 rise," continued Mick unsure. "Or an 11% rise. Or whatever ...", his argument trailing somewhere between the producer's pre-interview prep and Derbyshire's own attempt to get a handle on her caller. Are you arguing about the principle of the rise, or the timing? She asked. "Everything!" |
| Next came John Hemming, Liberal Democrat MP, smugly declaring he would decline the rise because it wasn't ethical when we're all in this together. Or, when like Hemming, you're a millionaire anyway. And there's the real battle, sidestepped for an irrelevant scrap. Would you rather MPs were paid "enough", or that it would still be legal for them to moneygrab board memberships at companies they might lobby on behalf of? To quote Derbyshire's listener Dave: "Why such an increase for what really is a part-time job? Many MPs have a second or third income." Peter Lilley (oil) and Philip Hammond (healthcare), here's looking at you. | Next came John Hemming, Liberal Democrat MP, smugly declaring he would decline the rise because it wasn't ethical when we're all in this together. Or, when like Hemming, you're a millionaire anyway. And there's the real battle, sidestepped for an irrelevant scrap. Would you rather MPs were paid "enough", or that it would still be legal for them to moneygrab board memberships at companies they might lobby on behalf of? To quote Derbyshire's listener Dave: "Why such an increase for what really is a part-time job? Many MPs have a second or third income." Peter Lilley (oil) and Philip Hammond (healthcare), here's looking at you. |
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