To: Public Accounts Committee
MPs Second Jobs
Petition to recover public funds, by reducing the salaries and pensions of MPs and Ministers, once they earn over the equivalent figure of their Parliamentary salaries, from non-Parliamentary outside sources.
Why is this important?
Whilst recognising that it may be difficult to impose a blanket restriction on MPs having secondary, or outside jobs, or outside financial interests, in addition to their work in Parliament, it is surely time for the public to expect their MP to devote most of their time to Parliamentary business and that the remuneration from the public purse should more closely reflect this.
This Petition therefore requests that the outside remuneration of an MP should be capped at the maximum amount of the publicly funded salary currently received by that MP or Minister, and that any earnings received or earned over and above that sum by an MP, from any outside source (be it employment, consultancy or any other remunerated job or perk) should be matched by a reduction in their publicly funded MP or Ministerial salary, pound for every pound earned from such outside sources, until the MP salary is entirely exhausted..
This will ensure that any MP earning more than twice his or her Parliamentary salary from secondary employments will receive no Parliamentary salary at all, nor any pensionable benefits that may be based on that salary. It will also mean that any MP currently earning more than £84,144 (or such larger sum based on their actual Parliamentary or Ministerial salary) from an outside source, but less than £168,288, will receive a reduced Parliamentary salary, equal to £84,144 less a reduction by one pound for every one pound he or she earns, over and above that identical sum from those outside sources, and that any outside earnings above £168,288 will thus result in no Parliamentary salary at all.
No account should be taken of expenses, or other permitted recoverable sums payable to any individual MP or Minister, in assessing his or her Parliamentary salary.
Example 1: MP earns £50,000 in addition to his MP salary. This is below the £84,144 he receives as an MP. He is entitled to receive his full MP salary from public funds.
Example 2: MP earns £100,000 in addition to his MP salary. This is £15,856 more than the £84,144 he receives as an MP. His MP salary should thus be reduced by that identical sum to £62,888. This effectively limits his taxable income, but still allows him to retain an overall taxable income, equivalent to almost twice his Parliamentary salary, but also saves the public purse £15,856
Example 3: MP earns £180,000 in addition to his MP salary. This is £95,856 more than the £84.144 he receives as an MP. His MP salary should be reduced by that sum, which exhausts it entirely. He thus receives no publicly funded salary, but can retain his remaining taxable income, whilst saving the public purse the full MP salary of £84,144.
In both cases 2 and 3, the payment of pensions based on final salary levels should also be saved by the public purse.
Note: The higher the outside earnings, the more likely it will be that the Parliamentary salary will not be payable at all, and most likely, a closer scrutiny will result in the outside financial interests of the MP, whilst he or she is acting in Parliament. Both events may also be likely to lead MPs to reduce their outside interests, if only to preserve their pension rights long term.
There is public concern about the high level of remuneration earned by MPs from secondary jobs or remunerated outside interests that could affect their impartiality, or the proper representation of their constituents working in Parliament on the job for which they receive public funds
This Petition therefore requests that the outside remuneration of an MP should be capped at the maximum amount of the publicly funded salary currently received by that MP or Minister, and that any earnings received or earned over and above that sum by an MP, from any outside source (be it employment, consultancy or any other remunerated job or perk) should be matched by a reduction in their publicly funded MP or Ministerial salary, pound for every pound earned from such outside sources, until the MP salary is entirely exhausted..
This will ensure that any MP earning more than twice his or her Parliamentary salary from secondary employments will receive no Parliamentary salary at all, nor any pensionable benefits that may be based on that salary. It will also mean that any MP currently earning more than £84,144 (or such larger sum based on their actual Parliamentary or Ministerial salary) from an outside source, but less than £168,288, will receive a reduced Parliamentary salary, equal to £84,144 less a reduction by one pound for every one pound he or she earns, over and above that identical sum from those outside sources, and that any outside earnings above £168,288 will thus result in no Parliamentary salary at all.
No account should be taken of expenses, or other permitted recoverable sums payable to any individual MP or Minister, in assessing his or her Parliamentary salary.
Example 1: MP earns £50,000 in addition to his MP salary. This is below the £84,144 he receives as an MP. He is entitled to receive his full MP salary from public funds.
Example 2: MP earns £100,000 in addition to his MP salary. This is £15,856 more than the £84,144 he receives as an MP. His MP salary should thus be reduced by that identical sum to £62,888. This effectively limits his taxable income, but still allows him to retain an overall taxable income, equivalent to almost twice his Parliamentary salary, but also saves the public purse £15,856
Example 3: MP earns £180,000 in addition to his MP salary. This is £95,856 more than the £84.144 he receives as an MP. His MP salary should be reduced by that sum, which exhausts it entirely. He thus receives no publicly funded salary, but can retain his remaining taxable income, whilst saving the public purse the full MP salary of £84,144.
In both cases 2 and 3, the payment of pensions based on final salary levels should also be saved by the public purse.
Note: The higher the outside earnings, the more likely it will be that the Parliamentary salary will not be payable at all, and most likely, a closer scrutiny will result in the outside financial interests of the MP, whilst he or she is acting in Parliament. Both events may also be likely to lead MPs to reduce their outside interests, if only to preserve their pension rights long term.
There is public concern about the high level of remuneration earned by MPs from secondary jobs or remunerated outside interests that could affect their impartiality, or the proper representation of their constituents working in Parliament on the job for which they receive public funds
