Nepotism in Westminster: MPs pay relatives £5,600 more than other staff

Last Updated: May 11, 2016By
More than a third of MPs employ family members in their offices [Image: PA].

More than a third of MPs employ family members in their offices [Image: PA].

This one has a simple solution: Ban MPs from employing their relatives, and set a universal rate for MPs’ employees.

The desire to give members of one’s own family a ‘leg-up’ is perfectly understandable but this is abuse of the system.

Also, This Writer doesn’t accept a word of Ipsa’s lily-livered acceptance of current contracts.

In a country where junior doctors’ contracts are being terminated and replaced with a sexist, dangerous alternative, there is no reason whatsoever not to axe current contracts for MPs’ employees and substitute a reasonable replacement.

Or is it now Parliamentary policy only to do the wrong thing?

Family members employed by MPs are paid on average £5,600 more than other staff, a watchdog has revealed.

Pay of such “connected parties” has also risen at twice the rate of other staff, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) found.

The group called for a review of whether MPs should be allowed to employ relatives in the future, arguing jobs must not be “personal benefits”.

In total, 139 MPs employ family members at a public annual cost of about £4.5m.

The review will only apply to future staffing as the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) said it would be “unfair and legally challengeable” to investigate existing contractual arrangements.

Source: MPs ‘pay relatives £5,600 more than other staff’, watchdog reveals – BBC News

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7 Comments

  1. Roland Laycock May 11, 2016 at 11:37 am - Reply

    We should clip there wings and make it legally for them to do it

  2. Dez May 11, 2016 at 12:20 pm - Reply

    Their greed knows absolutely no bounds……publish their data make it public not that would stop them as they are pig ignorant. Would not be surprised if they included pension contributions and a company car.

  3. NMac May 11, 2016 at 12:56 pm - Reply

    How on earth can it be “unfair and legally challengeable” to investigate existing contracts. As I see it there is nothing “unfair” about investigating for potential abuse or even possible criminal offences. Parliamentarians have in the very recent past vividly demonstrated that they cannot be trusted with public money.

  4. casalealex May 11, 2016 at 1:03 pm - Reply

    Recent history show it IS now Parliamentary policy only to do the wrong thing?

  5. sian May 11, 2016 at 1:34 pm - Reply

    This would include Crabb’s wife then.

  6. jeffrey davies May 11, 2016 at 1:57 pm - Reply

    more crooks in parliament than in a prison ops

  7. mrmarcpc May 12, 2016 at 5:19 pm - Reply

    It certainly pays to have a family member be in parliament, get paid without doing a bloody thing, much like the politicians paying them!

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