someone best mention it

[Margaret Pilkington]

Hmmmm. Well, when one thing is promised, and something different is delivered you can understand why a lot of us feel pretty peed off.
And sometimes politico speak is about as intelligible as monkey language....but that (I suspect) is done on purpose to baffle and befuddle.

It is very poor when a large proportion of the electorate(and no, of course I can't quantify it...it is anecdotal)do not trust their elected representative.....whether that be at a local level(and I know local politics is a totoally different ball game) or a national level.

People aren't not voting because they are too lazy to stir their stumps, they are not voting because it seems as though it changes very little for us who live here in the real world.
I am only one vote, but if my vote is the one which decides the result, then I should be able to feel that my voice will be heard....and at present I don't have that confidence.

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Hmmmm. Well, when one thing is promised, and something different is delivered you can understand why a lot of us feel pretty peed off.
And sometimes politico speak is about as intelligible as monkey language....but that (I suspect) is done on purpose to baffle and befuddle.

It is very poor when a large proportion of the electorate(and no, of course I can't quantify it...it is anecdotal)do not trust their elected representative.....whether that be at a local level(and I know local politics is a totoally different ball game) or a national level.

People aren't not voting becasue they are too lazy to stir their stumps, they are not voting because it seems as though it changes very little for us who live here in the real world.
I am only one vote, but if my vote is the one which decides the result, then I should be able to feel that my voice will be heard....and at present I don't have that confidence.

As usual Marg I can't argue with anything you've put and I totally agree.

It still amazes me how many politicians won't give a straight yes or no on TV, if I did that in Rishton people would soon lose their patience with me.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

It is if you have no idea what you're voting for.

Politicians of all levels have a duty to make things clear what they're getting for their cross on the ballot sheet.

Thats the trouble Ken, Yeh think yeh got some idea what yer voting fer n then many times it wasn't, so then it becomes bollox. Don't expect yeh to agree fer a min, but perhaps when yeh get to my age, yeh will get it?

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by cashman

Thats the trouble Ken, Yeh think yeh got some idea what yer voting fer n then many times it wasn't, so then it becomes bollox. Don't expect yeh to agree fer a min, but perhaps when yeh get to my age, yeh will get it?

Don't need to wait that long mate, can see it plain as day now.

That's why this promise of an EU referendum doesn't fool me for a second.

There'll be some excuse why it can't happen once Cameron is back in Number 10 without the Lib Dems in tow.

[cashman]

That referendum promise,i would doubt if it even fools opposition in his own party. But Labour are too dense to see the public view, or even consult wi public giving full facts "Pluses @ Minuses" The arrogance of Ed n his cronies is really pathetic in my view, Though we are obviously "To thick to get it"

[accyman]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

It still amazes me how many politicians won't give a straight yes or no on TV, if I did that in Rishton people would soon lose their patience with me.

theres a post on here somewhere and not too long ago showing someones twitter conversation with graham jones refusing to give a straight answer if he thought the MP'S payrise was unjustified so its not just on TV its basically any question asked.

ill see if i can dig it out

Originally Posted by Guinness

And here is our very own MP dodging a simple question 4 times on twitter...

Hi Graham. What are your thoughts on MPs' pay? Should there be a 32% pay rise?

GJ - The gap between rich and poor must close. Picking on MPs misses the point of higher wage earners with less responsibility.

not picking on anyone: committee recommendation, public office, regit question. So MPs underpaid for responsibilities?

GJ - Bigger issue than MPs pay. Gap between rich and poor needs tackling.

I agree on the gap. But what are your views, specifically, on the suggested 32% rise for MPs?

GJ - It was an anonymous survey. MPs pay irrelevant in the big scheme. Closing the gap between rich and poor is what matters.

Only interested in what you think of the suggested 32% (not your response to the survey) with public sector pay freeze etc.

GJ - MPs pay a false distraction from the wider pay gap issue.

Muppet!

i suppose been a MP is like going to prison in that once in a place surrounded by crooks your gonna pick up some new tricks lol

in the interest of balance all parties are full of crooks and liars

[Ken Moss]

A 32% pay rise????? Try 1.85% and that's only if the rules change.

I wouldn't begrudge an MP that increase, mainly because I wouldn't want their job.

I'd give pretty much anyone a month doing that before they realise that there is no gravy train.

[Less]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

Politicians of all levels have a duty to make things clear what they're getting for their cross on the ballot sheet.

A straight question,

Would you agree you have got the above arse about face?

Surely it is a politicians duty to make things clear what they are offering, to gain a cross on the ballot sheet.

Or are you planning to become an MP and you are getting your priorities out of the way so that people will have forgotten by the time they get to the hustings?

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by Less

A straight question,

Would you agree you have got the above arse about face?

Surely it is a politicians duty to make things clear what they are offering to gain a cross on the ballot sheet.

Or are you planning to become an MP and you are getting your priorities out of the way so that people will have forgotten by the time they get to the hustings?

No, just a foul up, pure and simple. Oops!

I believe the standard response in this situation is to say that I have no ambitions in that direction.

Which honestly seriously I don't. Very happy to leave it to Graham.

[accyman]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

A 32% pay rise????? Try 1.85% and that's only if the rules change.

I wouldn't begrudge an MP that increase, mainly because I wouldn't want their job.

I'd give pretty much anyone a month doing that before they realise that there is no gravy train.

%32 does seem a tad high but i wouldnt put it past them if they thought they could get away with it but my main point is that even our homegrown MP cant answer a question straight and besides he could have answered with what you basically put and corrected the %32 issue but teh question was completely evaded.

seems to me the first lesson in politics is to talk so much crap the question gets lost or the person asking it gets fed up goes away

[Guinness]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

A 32% pay rise????? Try 1.85% and that's only if the rules change.

I wouldn't begrudge an MP that increase, mainly because I wouldn't want their job.

I'd give pretty much anyone a month doing that before they realise that there is no gravy train.

Bit higher than 1.85%..

Majority of Members of Parliament believe they are underpaid - UK Politics - UK - The Independent

I'm so tired of the 'politicians work very hard' argument. Some of them do, I exclude the Gordon Brown type, but they ain't the only ones.....

I got mail on Saturday morning, postman had walked 4 miles in a blizzard to get to work, once there he again braved the nasty conditions just to make sure I got some e-liquid for my plastic fag.....Care workers trudged in to ensure peoples grannies got looked after..nurses, power maintenance workers, police ferrying hot drinks in treacherous conditions to people stuck on the M6.....thats REAL work, and they are all underpaid.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Ken, while you would not want to do the job of an MP, it seems(looking from the outside) that this career is quite lucrative.........and I know that to do the job properly you have to divide your time between your constituency and the Palace of Westminster, but you don't see raggedy MP's out looking for the best bargains in food, because they have an expense account to pay for it...which other job allows you to eat at the expense of the customer.......or have a roof over your head at the expense of the customer.
They all seem to be able to travel by train(something that some of us cannot afford to do)without it breaking their bank........and all the while they are an MP they have an eye on what they will do once that lucrative career is over...they network........heck some of them even moonlight while they are MP's.
My heart bleeds purple pee for the poor(and I mean that in financial terms) souls.

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Ken, while you would not want to do the job of an MP, it seems(looking from the outside) that this career is quite lucrative.........and I know that to do the job properly you have to divide your time between your constituency and the Palace of Westminster, but you don't see raggedy MP's out looking for the best bargains in food, because they have an expense account to pay for it...which other job allows you to eat at the expense of the customer.......or have a roof over your head at the expense of the customer.
They all seem to be able to travel by train(something that some of us cannot afford to do)without it breaking their bank........and all the while they are an MP they have an eye on what they will do once that lucrative career is over...they network........heck some of them even moonlight while they are MP's.
My heart bleeds purple pee for the poor(and I mean that in financial terms) souls.

I do take your point and can see it from both sides of the fence but I look at it from the angle of just basically having very little private time and somewhat dodgy job security.

Now I realise that the second of those arguments sounds pretty flimsy in today's age where no one has a 'job for life' anymore, but the continued employment of an MP does not depend entirely on them working hard for their constituency or even the prosperity of their employer but on the whim of the people on voting day and which colour banner is flavour of the month.

With that in mind, I don't blame any of them for trying to make sure that if the worst comes to the worst they don't find themselves down the dole queue the morning after they are summarily ejected from the House of Commons.

In Graham's case, I proudly cast my ballot in his favour and genuinely think he works hard for us all.

[Less]

Ken, are you getting a little obsessive, we don't see you on site very often so perhaps you have forgotten, we have more than one thread, why not take a look around you might find another thread to whet your appetite beside just posting in this one.

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by Guinness

Bit higher than 1.85%..

Majority of Members of Parliament believe they are underpaid - UK Politics - UK - The Independent

I'm so tired of the 'politicians work very hard' argument. Some of them do, I exclude the Gordon Brown type, but they ain't the only ones.....

I got mail on Saturday morning, postman had walked 4 miles in a blizzard to get to work, once there he again braved the nasty conditions just to make sure I got some e-liquid for my plastic fag.....Care workers trudged in to ensure peoples grannies got looked after..nurses, power maintenance workers, police ferrying hot drinks in treacherous conditions to people stuck on the M6.....thats REAL work, and they are all underpaid.

Just one attributable quote in that whole fantastical story, and even that is taken out of context. I'm always wary of phrases such as 'substantial numbers' and anonymous quotes from 'sources' which is why I don't bother with the national newspapers.

For a more balanced and factual report try the BBC:

BBC News - Pay freeze for MPs to continue until 2013