MPs – Pay, Allowances and Expenses

I have outlined below my response to some of the frequent issues that are raised surrounding the pay, expenses and allowances of MPs.

I appreciate the depth of anger among the public toward politicians over this , stemming from the actions of those MPs who have abused the system. I do agree that there are many aspects that need tightening up and loop holes that require closing.

However, there are many misconceptions out there about the role of MPs and the staff and volunteers who support them which I wanted to address.

I would also like to pay tribute to party activists – ordinary people often at local level – who give up their spare time for little thanks or reward. They are the people who stuff envelopes, knock on doors, contribute to manifestos, stand for office, donate money. Much of our system of government relies on the work of volunteers – and they do not deserve the bashing they often have to endure. Not everyone in politics is in it for themselves!   These same people also end up raising the money that pays for this – and in Plymouth most of our volunteers have low or modest incomes.

The role of an MP

There is no job description for this role. Different members chose to follow different routes. Some follow ministerial careers, others choose to champion particular national or local causes; others are involved in select committees and or with government and third sector organisations. 

I have tried to be active in a number of fields, following areas that are most relevant to Plymouth or to my own areas of expertise. Hence I sit on the Select Committee for Defence and for Strategic Arms Control. I am Secretary of the All Party Group for Water and consistently campaigning for fairer water bills in the South West. Recently I also sat on the committee scrutinising both the Marine Bill and the Climate Change Bill. I have also conducted a major inquiry into Plymouth’s housing over the last six months and I regularly speak on issues relating to fuel poverty and older people.  I love what I do and if I had one wish it would be that there were more hours in the day and week to speak up for and develop and fight for policies which make a difference to the lives of the people I represent.

Are MP paid too much?

MPs are currently paid £61,820 per annum, which is designed to be roughly comparative to positions in the public and private sector roles with a similar level of responsibility or demands, including:

• Director of a subsidiary company with a turnover of around ￡100m to ￡500m;
• Head teacher of a mid-sized secondary school;
• Pay band 1 senior civil servant;
• 1-star officer in the armed services; and
• Chief Superintendent in the police services.

Our pay is falling significantly behind these groups – and that is what the row was over earlier this year.  I voted for the option that would have put us on a similar basis to that applying to teachers, policemen and other public servants.  Incidentally a policeman with ten years service getting overtime for the extra hours would earn more than I do for the equivalent!

I think our pay is a fair for what we do – and I have to remember that many MP’s support a growing family as well as themselves and their partners. Our role entails voting on serious and complex matters which most MP’s I know do not take lightly..

It is also fair given the hours which we work, for which there is no overtime.

During most weeks I work in London from Monday to Thursday. I usually arrive in my office between 8 am and 9 am and I don’t normally leave until 10.30 pm – the evenings are spent waiting for late votes and catching up on work that my staff prepare on my behalf while I attend meetings and committees involved in shaping and implementing policy and legislation. Many people are surprised to see how much goes on behind the scenes when they come to visit.  Typically a Bill will take two to three months to go through its various stages in the commons and then repeat this in the House of Lords for my attention.  And not to mention clearing my inbox of the scores of unsolicited emails as well as important communications from constituents and local people!!

On Thursday evenings I head down to Plymouth, which is usually 3½  hours by train (working and reading en route), although sometimes I take the car (which can be a five hour drive).

Fridays are usually spent attending meetings in Plymouth, for instance with the City Council, the Primary Care Trust or the Dockyard Strategy Group. Saturday and some of Sunday will be spend attending community events or meeting constituents, and preparing for Defence Select committee sessions which are usually on Tuesday – and of course doing the return journey to London. 

On average I would say I worked a seventy or eighty hour week for the thirty weeks that Parliament is in session – and recent debates have shown that this again is quite common amongst MP’s.

But MPs get a lot of holiday don’t they?

It is true that Parliament does not sit at certain times of the year, notably over the summer. However, that does not mean the work stops! Recess provides a chance to catch up on outstanding correspondence and casework and with background reading; to meet with local organisations and individuals in Plymouth; to live at home for more than a day or two at a time – Plymouth remains very much my home - and to review some of my key campaigns and areas of work.

Although I snatch a few weeks holiday here and there, the fact that Parliament is not sitting merely means I am spending more time working in Plymouth as opposed to London.

For instance, this past summer (2008), in addition to daily casework and regular meetings I did the following:

• Undertook a course at the Reserve Mobilisation Centre at Chilwell so that I can go and visit operational theatres with the armed forces – everything from first aid to putting on the respirator needed if there is a CBRN attack, in 9 seconds, and searching for landmines!
• Attended the Co-operative Party Conference in London and the Labour Party conference in Manchester.
• Returned to London to meet with Ministers over issues which had cropped up since Parliament had risen.
• Visited Brittany Ferries at Millbay Docks to see for myself some of the teething problems arising from new border control procedures.
• Met again with Paul Carroll, the new director of Plymouth’s City Development Company, to discuss the importance of skills in Plymouth’s workforce.
• Met with representatives of the Devonport Workers Committee regarding the dockyard and naval base.
• Went to Exeter for a briefing by the South West Regional Development Agency about how the region can cope with the credit crunch. 

How much do you claim in expenses?

The independent website TheyWorkForYou has a record of what I have claimed over the past couple of years.

You can find background information of the various categories and regulations on the Parliament website.

Why was your stationary bill so high last year?

I moved offices which entailed a number of additional costs, for set up and new equipment and so forth. At the same time, I ordered certain supplies in bulk – and hope that future bills will be less as a result. 

However, most people would expect an MP to engage with their constituents, to keep them in touch with their work and to seek their views. Inevitably this entails stationary costs. I receive dozens of letters every day from people who want to share their views or need my help – and I try and reply to all of them; I also send out an annual report, together with newsletters on policy areas (defence and the dockyard, environment, issues affecting older people etc) to keep people informed of the work I do and give them the chance of telling me what they think. 

Why does an MP need staff? How many do you employ?

The staffing allowance aims to fund the equivalent of 3½ full time members of staff (also taking in account that some of these will be based in Westminster and paid according to London weightings).

I currently employ:

• One full time member of staff in London to run my Parliamentary office and undertake research  (also occasionally supported by unpaid interns undertaking work experience as part of a university programme)
• One full time member of staff in Plymouth to run my constituency office and undertake casework.
• Two part time members of staff in Plymouth to help with casework and also to liaise with community groups
• One part time member of staff who works between London and Plymouth as necessary (see below).

What do they do? Manage my diary; help organise events; update my website; draft speeches, press releases and letters; answer the telephone; attend meetings on my behalf; summarise documents for me; monitor parliamentary debates; undertake research; prepare background briefings…and many more things.

Do you employ a relative?

Yes, I employ my husband. He is paid £12,000 per year and works, theoretically, 20 hours a week: in fact it is often twice as much, and sometimes three times as much.

Anyone who has worked on a family farm or run a small business can testify why employing a relative is sometimes better than any alternative.

Firstly, he is the best person for the job. He has a qualification in community work (ideal for casework), he was a former local councillor (and so knows Plymouth well) and has studied social science research at post graduate level.

Secondly, given that my average working week is 70 hours, I doubt I would see much of him if he did not work for me!  The attrition rate of MP’s marriages is higher than average for obvious reasons.

Finally, he provides an element of flexibility which I could not ask of a non-family staff member. He is on call whenever I need him and wherever I am. This is extremely useful given the erratic working hours and the tendency for problems or events to crop up at any time. He can also travel with me as necessary between London and Plymouth (which I certainly couldn’t ask a standard member of staff to do – and even if they could, it would work out more expensive as they would require accommodation in both locations).

That said, I am outraged by those few MPs who have paid money to family members who do no real work for them – and I certainly think the employment of relatives should be done in a transparent and accountable manner. Most MP’s spouses in my experience are in similar positions to that which I have described – and no wonder they and staff get a bit frustrated to be described simply as “an MP’s expense” when they work very hard with us to provide a service to our constituents and communities.

Why should the taxpayer pay for second homes?

I have now been an MP for over eleven years – and as you can see I spend about half of my year in London. It is a pretty life consuming occupation which can be quite draining.  Having a flat within walking distance (and I do walk the 20 minutes to work most days) probably makes a big difference to how resilient I can be in coping with the long hours etc.– If  only the wealthy or people who already live in London -  could afford to become MPs – - or the alternative of living 30 weeks of the year out of a suit case put people off -  I think parliament would be the less for it. I think it is important that anyone can stand for Parliament, regardless of their background or how much money they have.

However, I think it is wrong for an MP to make a capital gain from an accommodation allowance and consequently I rent my flat in London. This means my housing allowance goes toward rental payments. If MPs need the flexibility to purchase rather than rent, then any gain should be reimbursed when they cease to be an MP.

Some people think MPs should be housed in a purpose built accommodation block in London. I think this would be unworkable for members who have a variety of needs including the wish to raise a family in London. It also may present a security risk. However, I do not see why a variety of properties could not be purchased centrally by Parliament for the use of MPs. When they lost their seats or stepped down, they could be made available to incoming MPs. However it is probably simpler to have a system that blocks any capital gain not based on an MP’s own investment of capital.

What about the “John Lewis List”?

I had no idea this existed – and am happy to see it abolished altogether – which it has been.

Why are there so many bars and restaurants in Parliament?

Simply because there are so many people working and visiting the Parliamentary Estate!

There are currently 646 Members of Parliament. Each of those may employ in London anywhere between one and four members of staff. 
There are 746 Member of the House of Lords, some of whom will also employ staff.
Then there are the police, cleaners, builders, clerks, committee staff, guides, librarians, civil servants, journalists and so forth – not to mention members of the public who come for a tour or to watch a debate.

There are easily several thousand people who work or visit Parliament every day all of whom require canteens and coffee shops. And because some votes take place in Parliament, many people will have to stay for an evening meal too.

October 2008