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I agree with all of that about bringing average wages up (or cost of living down) - that obviously should be the aim. But if we aren’t there yet, and assuming most people considering being MPs are realistic enough to accept they won’t be elected and be able to fix that immediately, so we have to live with where we are - and I do think there are many, many very capable people who don’t think it is worth the money (how much would you need to be paid to be subject to the death threats to you and your family?)
The issue is that a lot of the people who are left wanting to do it are weird. Do I know if more money would help? Dunno - it would probably help some, and not all - but I just think that arguing the only people who should do it should want to for the love means that, along with those with a genuine desire to help people, you get those with a genuine desire to e.g. stop refugees, or a genuine desire to make connections and be a dodgy f*ck.
I don’t think more pay fixes the latter on its own - I think more pay would be a quid pro quo for much more restrictive rules on outside interests and other employment.
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andyfallsoff
snottyotter
That's not strictly what I'm saying, but looking at the average wage over country is a better way of finding people to represent the average person in the country. £80k a year is a lot of money, it's not millionaire richness in a lot of cases but you're like comfortably top 5%. I think things should be geared towards bringing the average wage up and the people in charge should understand what it is to live on an average wage, even an apparent living wage so we are all better off. Yes the housing market is stupid, yes it's extra stupid in London where the average wage is about £37k and everywhere else barring the South East and East it's below £30k, and they're only just over, but that's a problem that needs looking at from the other end, not making sure the top few earners can afford the ungodly costs of living.
Obviously not, but a moderately comfortable lifestyle should be attainable for everyone and £80k per year is dream luxury for most, even saying that the only* £80k workers I want to pull down are the MPs, to the level of everyone else so that they help build up that level rather than shitting on it.
* Also very happy to pull down much higher "earners", no one needs fucking billions.