Why so much criticism of MPs allowances?

拢87,600,000 between 646 members, about 拢136,000 each. Is this so bad? The travel and hotel expenses of members from Scotland, for example, will be huge. Why SHOULDN'T they be reimbursed? Their salary is not so big, and as for travelling by private car they only get about 40pence per mile (25pence on high mileages).

A member is entitled to claim 3 computers for their home and constituency office, again I think this is reasonable, and can claim the wages to pay temporary staff.

It's hardly that bad is it? Is it just trendy to knock them purely for the sake of it?

The money isn't ALL for travelling. Non-London MPs also may claim hotel costs, again this is reasonable. If the member didn't show all week people would complain, not least his constituents.

Because the media has made a big deal about it and people can't think for themselves.

I agree, 拢87m isn't that much at all.

You must be joking.....拢136.000 for travelling......do they go by Concorde....not all MP's are from Scotland so your averages are all wrong....what about the London MP's....take them out and then re-average your figures.....
It would be OK if that was all they claimed, but then they claim for second houses they dont live in....their wives as their staff...its all a con......If the rest of the working population took this attitude the Country would be Bankrupt.

WOT! 拢136,000 each a year in expenses isn't that bad. Dunno bout you mate but that's more than seven times my annual salary and that's not even taking into consideration theirs. I think its abysmal that they can waste so much of my hard earned money this way. And MSP's shouldn't have to travel to Westminster anyway, isn't Edinburgh the home of the devolved Scottish Parliament?

In my old town of Oldham have seen Michael Meacher MP waiting for the bus, but he was on his way to his constituency home, a rather nice little cottage, but only one of his portifolio of properties that runs into millions.

Oh please! I work as a Health Assistant in a nursing home and I earn 拢6.63 an hour, so I have to do lots of overtime to make decent money. What you do expect me to think of MPs? They are greedy, greedy, greedy.

Scots should only travel as far as their own Parliament and keep out of Westminster. Westminster is for English MPs and not for Scots that want to have their cake and eat it.

info i received recently is that my local mp claims a flat in London on his expenses because 'sometimes there are late sittings in the house' presumably it's because the poor lamb is too tired to get home. i spent many years working as a police officer in central London - after long night duties i still had to make my weary way home as do fire and ambulance personnel - no flats on expenses for us mere mortals.
if i and other night workers can get themselves home then so can an MP - why a flat - whats wrong with a b&b - would the profit made on the property go into the public purse.
an expense account is to make sure you're not out of pocket - it isn't there to top up your salary.


the reason there is an issue about mps expense accounts is because it's our money and their salaries are perfectly adequate for the work they do . it's not claiming expenses that's the problem it's claiming unnecessary expenses just because they can.

They are greedy and UN-employable in the private sector

You seem to have overlooked the fact that some of them continue to work in other capacities (for example, practising at the Bar), but then, of course, they have to keep up professionally in case they lose their seats and they have to cover their professional overheads somehow.

There is also the little matter of their wives (maybe husbands, who knows?) being employed as their secretaries. However, they are working so hard that the wives do need something to occupy them during those long hours of loneliness, so it would be churlish to raise an eyebrow at this. Moreover, their spouses are prepared to offer their services at unsocial hours which would displease other employees. Which of us would be prepared to turn up at all those boring social functions?

拢136,000 per year just for expenses....are you a politician or what?
Call it jealousy if you want but i work a lot harder than a politician and for a lot less money, when i claim my expenses i have to account for every penny spent.
If i tried to claim 拢136,000 in expenses I'd be sacked and probably investigated for fraud.
The Politicians shout about the lack of money that is going into schools and the NHS but are happy to give themselves a hefty pay rise and still eat/sleep/meet in the most expensive places rather than save a bit of tax payers money.
This is ridiculous and has nothing to do with being trendy, it has all to do with the politicians of the country taking the tax payers for a ride whilst the schools/NHS/crime and everything else have budget cuts.
This daylight robbery has to stop.
Even Dick Turpin wore a mask.

this is the kind of reaction you deserve when you get into the habit of lying and deceiving the people......don't bleat your defence at me!!!.....try treating the voters with respect and try telling the truth instead of standing there telling lies like a pathetic school child, perhaps you'll earn some for your self.