Daily Expense Allowance

[Emigre]

I read with interest this morning that GB is proposing to scrap MPs second home allowance and instead bring in a daily allowance of perhaps £174/day for those MPs who live outside London and who attend Parliament all day. They also receive a salary of course. They also have their own style of tax return form!!

Now, I live outside London, I swipe in and out of ClientCo on a daily basis so I assume that I will be able to claim similar allowable expenses from myco, tax free?

I think GB has a long way to go to convince us these people haven't got their noses permanently in the trough.

[thelace]

When their "allowance" is more than the average weekly pay in the sticks (for those that still have a job), I can't see the populace thinking "oh that sounds fair".

How about;

If you want to "serve the public" as a politician, then you do so at your own expense, however I have no objection to paying you a salary of say £30k.

Many of these guys have their fingers in so many pies that they're seriously minted anyways.

You only see most of them in the "house" for PMQT, when it's on the news at other times, there seems to be only a couple in on each side. I know they have other duties too like sitting on committees, however it was mentioned on the radio the other day that they attend less than half (as an average) of these too.

And surely, as these people serve the "party" rather than their constituents, there doesn't need to be half as many of them leeching our tax money?

[NickNick]

When their "allowance" is more than the average weekly pay in the sticks (for those that still have a job), I can't see the populace thinking "oh that sounds fair".

Well, not quite. Average weekly wage is £479 (521 for men, 412 for women).

[Bengal]

Now, I live outside London, I swipe in and out of ClientCo on a daily basis so I assume that I will be able to claim similar allowable expenses from myco, tax free?

Er, the simple answer is "no". Poiticians have different legislation governing their expenses to the legislation that governs the expenses that the public can claim.

[tino]

Well, not quite. Average weekly wage is £479 (521 for men, 412 for women).

and £174 x 5 = £870