A backbench MP receives an annual salary of £86,584. Ministers get more, the amount measured by the importance of the role, with the top job of prime minister bringing in £167,39 a year. It’s all set out in black and white; there are no additional one-off payments or performance-related bonuses. Expenses however are generous, and though defined they’re more open to interpretation – and manipulation. While certain parliamentarians claim back virtually nothing, others put in for amounts far in excess of their salary. Away from Westminster, another perk of being an MP is the ever-growing number of freebies offered to politicians by companies and organisations, something that increasingly raises eyebrows. Summer is peak freebie season and this year more than 100 MPs, including Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Deputy PM Oliver Dowden and Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer all enjoyed cost-nothing jollies. Hunt was at the Chelsea Flower Show courtesy of the Lloyds Banking Group, and also accepted theatre and opera tickets. Dowden’s Chelsea Flower Show tickets were paid for by Fenchurch Advisory, an investment firm run by Tory donor Malik Karim. Rounding off a busy summer, the Deputy PM also made free trips to Ascot, the Royal Opera and Formula One. Meantime, Labour enjoyed their own share of freebies. Sir Keir Starmer received tickets to a Coldplay gig in Manchester from a concert promoter, plus a box and hospitality worth £3,716 at the Epsom Derby, from the Jockey Club. Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting accepted Sky TV hospitality at the Hay Festival as well as tickets to the opera at Glyndebourne from lobbying and public affairs company FGS Global. The list goes on, with eighteen MPs joining in the festival fun at Glastonbury, five of those paid for by tech giant Google. None of this is against parliamentary rules, so long as it is declared in the House of Commons Register of Financial Interests within 28 days and valued at more than £300. Under £300 is no longer considered worth mentioning. So, a good time was had by all, but it does beg the question: what’s in it for those who offer such generous gifts?
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What is constantly overlooking when considering MPs salaries, expenses and freebies is the biggest gift of all – their second homes. MPs get to buy a capital asset and won it but have the full cost paid by the taxpayer? They use it to generate equity and capital value and are exempted from all the charges and taxes other people pay. Not to mention the gravy train of local offices too and employing friends and family.
There is no justification for any MP or Peer to own the title deeds to a property paid for by the taxpayer. There are far too many MPs and Peers as it is, each chamber could be reduced by at least 35% without any obvious difference. It would be cheaper to have an apart/hotel type building where accommodation is allocated to the seat and is given up when that MP retires, dies, resigns or loses the seat. If they choose to make their home in London and buy a family home then tough.
But of course so many Labour MPs abuse this perk there isn’t a single word from Labour about any reforms to MP and Peer remuneration that would address this. So like so many people, those of us despair for change and reform only have a ‘we are not the Tories and it is our turn’ mantra from Labour, so the gravy train will continue.