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Cheeky wrote: I personally would be in favour of paying politicians minimum wage and virtually zero expenses

I hear that's a great way to attract people to do work.

garethom wrote:

Cheeky wrote: I personally would be in favour of paying politicians minimum wage and virtually zero expenses

I hear that's a great way to attract people to do work.

Well the opposite system isn't exactly working either, is it ?

But minimum wage and zero expenses is not a good solution either. Treat them like every other public employee: hourly wage, reasonable justified expenses, with an independant committee to supervise. Make it as attractive as any other job, no more no less.

I think the only way to pressure them is with votes. Why not local voters unions ? "Work properly or bid your career farewell".

Or rating systems like testbuy, but for politicians ? Regularly publishing their attendance records and positions on every motion ?

I'm sure these ideas are flawed too, this is just a brainstorming... But I feel that if voters were better informed and started to speak up and threaten with their votes something could work out

Politics was never meant to be a career.

wub wrote:Politics was never meant to be a career.

But that's what it became and it's not going to change anytime soon. So we might as well find a way to take advantage of it, wouldn't you say ?

Why would politicians limit their own power? Very, very few are willing to do that.

Rönin wrote:

wub wrote:Politics was never meant to be a career.

But that's what it became and it's not going to change anytime soon. So we might as well find a way to take advantage of it, wouldn't you say ?

No.

I'd prefer to see the levels of reform discussed above in terms of MPs salary caps (minimum wage is a little extreme, but somewhat apt) and expense restrictions. MPs can have one designated home in their constituency that is used by whichever MP is currently representing, and when they're in London they have their own room in a central building similar to a barracks where they can stay.

We'd soon see how many of them actually wanted to serve the public interest, and how many of them were just in it for the gravy train.

Genevieve wrote:Why would politicians limit their own power? Very, very few are willing to do that.

That's the thing. But it still depends on votes only. They may give themselves more and more power, but as long as we live in a democracy, voters can make it so they have it for only one legislature. I think that's why action should be taken on the voter's side first.

Edit: good point wub, but then again as Genevieve pointed out: who's gonna decide this ? To put your ideas in motion, votes and the people we vote for are the first things that must be looked at

Rönin wrote:as long as we live in a democracy

a democracy implies actively involved citizens

Rönin wrote:publishing their attendance records and positions on every motion (...)if voters were better informed

its not like these pieces of info cannot be found/are hidden, lots of crucial pieces of info are available just most people don't bother looking for it

Rönin wrote:

Genevieve wrote:Why would politicians limit their own power? Very, very few are willing to do that.

That's the thing. But it still depends on votes only. They may give themselves more and more power, but as long as we live in a democracy, voters can make it so they have it for only one legislature. I think that's why action should be taken on the voter's side first.

Edit: good point wub, but then again as Genevieve pointed out: who's gonna decide this ? To put your ideas in motion, votes and the people we vote for are the first things that must be looked at

The logicistics of this would be pretty much impossible to pull-off. You would need to be voting in NOTHING but representatives that support minimum wage laws for politicians and be sure they won't change the vote later on, AND that they aren't bought and paid for by people with power, etc.

People have so much faith in politics. It's understandable. It's concrete. There's a ballot you can write your own choice on consciously and you feel like it'll be taken into consideration. It gives you the illusion of power. But the poor are getting poorer, the rich are getting richer and our civil liberties are being eroded despite the increase in the size and power OF the state. I wonder at what point people will start to cast away the institution the way most western Europeans are doing away with the church.

Politicians need to be paid more. People need to get over the standard kneejerk disgust about politician's earnings and get to grips with the fact that they occupy some of the most important jobs in the country.

To attract the best talent you need appropriate pay, not everyone can be expected to be some kind of angel and earn half of what you could earn in the private sector. Average MP salary is 66k - might sound like a lot to some people but for London, its really not - the expected calibre of an MP could take £120k + in private sector

Expecting them to be selfless civil servants who just want to improve the world is too idealistic imo, i'm sure there are some, but clearly not many. Bump all MP's wages by £40k, get some private sector badmen to run the country, would cost about £26m p.a., which is fuck all (relatively)

minimum wage for politicians looooooool, that's literally fucking ridiculous.

Minimum wage for doctors too imo

Lack of decent MPs perfectly illustrating by the paucity of options of party leadership right now e.g. nick clegg, ed millband. If labour had an inspirational leader right now they would be leading by a landslide and we wouldn't be in this mess

People rejecting any possibility of changing the system in their favour because of their own cynism seems worse to me than naive idealism, which at least offers a remote chance.

Rönin wrote:People rejecting any possibility of changing the system in their favour because of their own cynism seems worse to me than naive idealism, which at least offers a remote chance.

The system needs serious reform. Shrugging our shoulders and just throwing more money at it is very defeatist, IMO.

Pay politicians more
or
Reform the entire system.

I know which one seems easier to me

Easier ≠ Best

Paying them more doesn't help, it doesn't attract better suited people because you offer them more money.

Being realistic, how many people are going to take on the job of politician on a minimum wage?

garethom wrote:Being realistic, how many people are going to take on the job of politician on a minimum wage?

A few rich conservatives maybe

garethom wrote:Being realistic, how many people are going to take on the job of politician on a minimum wage?

Probably only those who genuinely want to better the country. Which would go a long way to clearing out the detritus we have clogging the benches currently.