Part of the problem is that comparatively speaking our MPs and Ministers are paid poorly. An MP is on far less than someone heading up a department in a bank for example, yet we expect them to represent tens of thousands of people working as an MP for £70k a year.
And the gravy train rolls on . . .
- Thread starter stockhausen
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I would certainly go along with the suggestion that despite having ignored and disparaged the NHS for years, the Government has finally allowed the NHS to get on with the job; they should be more grateful going forward to Scientists and "Experts" - probably will not happen.
I somehow doubt that Matt Hancock will be welcomed to anything to do with the Health service when he looks around for a cushy sinecure.
Do I harbour deep admiration for Blair, his money-making scams and his continuing interference? Nope, I don't.
As to the point of this thread, it is a reference to all (or most) senior politicians bending over for those businesses for which they are allegedly responsible in order to provide them with an exceptionally remunerative retirement.
Remind me, in the case of Osborne, did he have a First in Economics or a long career in Finance or Banking to justify his position as Chancellor -or- was he just a member of the Bullingdon Club?
Caporegime
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Well put a proper lockdown in place. A curfew. Enforced by the police and the military. Other countries managed to control all the retards within their populations.
In France you needed some signed form explaining where you were going and why if you left home. Police then had checkpoints or did random stops to enforce.
This hands off nice approach of daily bulletins was never going to work. A 12 year old could have told you that. Especially when many MP's and their friends and families have all been caught breaking the rules.
They all have other jobs and claim expenses.
What about those that work in other public sectors that haven't had a wage rise in 15 years? The one that never gets mentioned whenever they do hand out money to the nurses, police, teachers, etc who get regular rises.
£70k per year is double the median wage. It's hardly a peasants living.
You have overwhelmed tax inspectors on £30k a year investigating large businesses with turnovers in the trillions who employ a full team of professionals who earn 2-5 times as much for much less work. Which is why when you have one person on £30k Vs a team on a combined £250k - £500k there is mostly only one winner. It's also why a lot of them are ex revenue employees who jump to the other side.
Nobody goes into the public sector for the wages bar the police, doctors and nurses who get constant rises and are well paid. You need zero qualifications to become a MP or police officer yet you can earn a substantial living from both relatively speaking.
We're talking about MPs not tax inspectors, I don't disagree we should have more of those and it be a better paid position as well. The market rate for the type of person who *should* be an MP, i.e. the type of person you'd ideally want running the country, isn't £70k. £70k is a good wage, but the types of people you want as MPs should be on at least double that. The salary of the Prime Minister is £150k for gods sake, the median pay for a CEO in the UK is £3.6m. People complain about Boris Johnson not doing a good job, it's like what do you expect? You're putting a League Two manager in charge of a Premier League club and then wondering why he isn't doing a fantastic job.
Man of Honour
I'm not sure really how any other government would have faired any better tbh. It's easy for other parties to breathe discontent and casting criticism when on the fence but the vaccination programme, even if they don't hit the 15M but mid-February, is just amazing. The difference is that had time to prepare for that, unlike when the virus first hit us. Nothing could have prepared us for that.
Soldato
I think this summarises well /thread
The revolving door is an ugly thing, and blurs the line between govt and corporations.
We don't know what promises were made *during* their time in govt, in return for lucrative positions *after*.
And that's a huge problem. And I'm sure they're all at it. Well, those with their hands on the levers of power, anyhow. Safe to say my trust in these people to be incorruptible is absolute zero
I agree. I don't think anyone else would have done better
Soldato
Man of Honour
The revolving door is an ugly thing, and blurs the line between govt and corporations.
We don't know what promises were made *during* their time in govt, in return for lucrative positions *after*.
And that's a huge problem. And I'm sure they're all at it. Well, those with their hands on the levers of power, anyhow. Safe to say my trust in these people to be incorruptible is absolute zero
I understand this, but I don't think there's an easily solution that isn't worse than the problem itself. In the context of this thread, I certainly don't believe that's the soul source of the complaint.
Soldato
They are underpaid. They should be paid about double that, but be prevented from taking employment elsewhere. Quite probably they should be prevented from working in certain capacities for a period after their time as an MP too.
And maybe there's an argument to continue to pay them a moderate salary after they are ejected, and prevent them from taking up any employment. Not sure I'm on board with that one, but it's worth a discussion.
Caporegime
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Just pass a law stating any politician found guilty of corruption gets life in prison.
I think they would think twice then.
The vaccine programme is impressive but its the NHS that are handling it and people like my wife who are working all hours giving it. We will never know how any government would have handled it but considering we still after 12 months dont have a track and trace system, despite spending BILLIONS is a disgrace.
Oh and the back handers to PPE companies with no experience in PPE is also a scandal that will no doubt be brushed under the carpet.
Soldato
When was the last time a politician was guilty of corruption?
versus
How many ex politicians walk straight into well paid jobs with businesses they were only just liaising with as part of their ministerial duties?
Yeah they'd also think twice about becoming MPs if we started throwing a load of them in prison and you'd narrow down the list of people wanting to do the job even further. Try and think of ways to get higher quality candidates rather than punishing the people we currently have doing the job.
Soldato
We had loads of time to prepare for winter. **** all was done until the latest possible moment. They didn't even let schools get a heads up for it over Xmas, insisting they'd be going back (they did - for one (1) day!)
There has been nearly a year and the Track & Trace is barely functional. We've only just started with proper border controls.
As for how any government would have fared better.... we're the worst performing country in the world! Almost every government performed better!
It's no coincidence we're ahead on vaccines: they clearly put all the eggs in the vaccine basket whilst giving up on actually controlling the spread. Our WORLD BEATING death rate BRITISH VIRUS (strain) FOR BRITISH PEOPLE is the legacy of that.
Soldato
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Oh christ on a bike not that one again ! "At LeaST COrBYN didn't gET iN"
Its proper rehearsed rubbish the medias told you to say.
Frankly it couldn't be any worse than Boris, and Corbyn has listened to experts his whole career - id rather he was in, as a lot more would be alive right now, simple as that.
Soldato
The latter is also corruption, but seems to be fine with all MPs and Lords regardless of political party affiliation.
Soldato
Corbyn would still be trying to decide COVID’s preferred pronouns and Diane Abbot would have ordered either six or eleventy million doses of the wrong vaccine.