Frustrated staffers plan to ditch face coverings after July 19th despite being “required” to wear them, after Guido revealed that MPs have only be “encouraged” to wear face coverings on the Parliamentary estate since June 21st. Guido also hears that some staffers haven’t bothered waiting until the 19th and have already started ditching face masks on the estate, only wearing them in PCH…
This comes after GMB, TUS and Unite unions wrote a letter to Hoyle explaining that Parliamentary staff have been filled with “incredulity, anger and concern” over the mask hypocrisy that has left Parliament with a distinctly upstairs / downstairs vibe. Unions are pushing for everyone to have mandatory masks, although Guido gets the sense both MPs and staffers want the freedom to make their own minds up…
Mansfield’s Ben Bradley is the first* MP to publicly pledge that “if the rumours on a public sector pay freeze are true (and I don’t know whether they are) then needless to say that should include MPs too.”
Jacob Young, the MP for Redcar & Cleveland, says that if the Chancellor “says public sector workers are getting a pay freeze – then I want to be clear, that must include MPs.”
Guido will be contacting MPs to see if who will pledge to freeze their pay in solidarity with the public sector. Ideally the government should find time to simply amend the legislation so that IPSA’s pay rise recommendations can in future be rejected by a straightforward vote on the floor of the Commons. MPs can stop this faux wringing of hands as their pockets are filled with inflation busting pay rises…
In the long term Britain should move to a Singaporean style model for MPs pay – salaries are performance-linked, to ensure that political leaders are accountable for their roles and responsibilities. Pay is benchmarked against high calibre earners’ incomes, then discounted 40% for public service. MPs are paid performance related bonuses on top, with the salaries linked to the socio-economic outcomes of Singaporeans. British MPs’ pay could do with linking to the general prosperity of their voters, the people whose interests they are supposed to represent. If the people prosper, MPs’ pay will rise.
Guido is compiling a tally of MPs who are refusing a pay rise. Are you an MP without their snout in the trough? Email Guido from an @parliament.uk account or with a link to a public statement to join the list of non-wronguns…
*UPDATE: John Redwood also tweeted this on Friday.
Parliamentary researchers have been reeling over a recent change in access rights to the changing room facilities and showers in parliamentary office block Portcullis House. One previously open to all has now become the exclusive domain of female MPs, despite their smaller numbers. Staffer’s WhatsApp chats have been fuming, pointing out the highly unequal distribution of resources …
Guido is told that one unknowing staffer got a shouty earful from an irate Theresa Villiers for approaching the newly restricted changing room. True to type, snooty MPs have taken facilities away from the many and given them to… themselves.
Leave MPs are united on what they want from Brexit while Remainers are hopelessly divided and cannot agree a line. Not just the conclusion of anyone who watched yesterday’s Commons debate, this is the finding of a new survey by Queen Mary University. While there is a near consensus among Leavers on the importance of controlling immigration, Remainers are split on whether to prioritise the single market (47%) or border controls (31%). On paying into the EU budget, again there is a near consensus against among Leavers, while Remainers are divided. As Professor Anand Menon says: “Remainers are much more divided over what to prioritise – which may well make them less able to shape the debate”. A brief look at the varying positions of Anna Soubry, Chuka Umunna, Owen Smith, Ed Miliband, Jeremy Corbyn and the two LibDem factions tells you much the same.
Another titbit in Philip Cowley’s survey: 70% of Labour MPs say they are now less supportive of referenda:
That’s democracy for ya…
