Rab Boyce's Site

Is it just me or is everyone losing their sense of proportion on this? Isn't the fundamental root of the problem that MPs just aren't paid enough in the UK?

This seems to be the product of the fact the default unit of currency in salary seems to 'the nurse'. How often have you heard journalists or commentators say 'that would pay for 10 nurses' or that's '3 times what a nurse earns!' if a nurse is expected to live on a nurses salary, shouldn't the prime minister?

Well, no. No he shouldn't. Our MPs should be well rewarded for the job they do. This is for a number of reasons.

1. Our best people should be attracted to the job
2. I don't want the representatives of our democracy worried about paying the mortgage
3. If they are well rewarded perhaps they wouldn't feel the need to fiddle their expenses/allowances
4. In all honesty ther really arent that many of them.

If we paid each mp 200,000 a year that would cost the tax payer 145 million, which is nothing in the scheme of things...

Actually hold on a minute....that's 5300 nurses!