10
Nov
2009
04: Labour’s Debts, Twitter’s Power, Watford’s Playgrounds and MP’s Salaries.
This week on the House of Comments podcast we’re joined by Jennie Rigg and Matt Wardman to talk about a few of the things which have been making waves in the online world.
- Labour appear to be one wrong step away from going broke – could this mean an early election?
- The online world of Twittering Social Networking has been flexing its muscles over the past few weeks. Where is this going, and how will it affect politics in the future?
- Was Watford Council right to use child safety concerns as justification for banning parents from 2 Adventure Playgrounds?
- And finally, should we be paying MPs more – and is this all really Thatcher’s fault?
Hope you enjoy listening – you can download the MP3 file here, subscribe to the podcast using iTunes or simply listen in the player below.
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Eh? Why is Matt Wardman saying the kids playgrounds’ booking form is contradictory with the council’s second statement? It isn’t at all. It says that the adventure playground is an “open access facility. This means that children can come and go without restriction” . So kids can use the facility whenever they like. It doesn’t say anything about the parents having constant access to the entire premises.
Hm, also on Mark’s rant re MPs salaries – isn’t the point that £25k is just not enough to keep two households on? I’m assuming here you’re subsuming expenses into the salary.
I.e. what you don’t want is a situation where anyone who isn’t a single man without kids being unable to sustain the life necessary to carry out the duties of an MP.
I think the point Matt was making was that if it’s an ‘open access’ facility where ‘children can come and go without restriction’ that would suggest it couldn’t be a ‘fully supervised’ facility.
As for MPs, obviously the situation is more complicated than with most jobs re expenses and living provisions, but that doesn’t necessarily make base salary rises a good idea. Also, interested you say ‘anyone who isn’t a single man without kids’. Wouldn’t a single woman without kids be in much the same position?
Hi Alix.
Maybe I am a bit confused about your comment but you talk about not being able to keep 2 households on £25K. I am not expecting MPs to get by on median salary. The MP salary is £64K which I think is about right as I said. Also, I am not expecting that to cover all expenses. I think reasonable travel to and from the constituency should be covered as well as the costs of the second home (albeit any capital gain should not be pocketed by the MP) and reasonable furnishings. However things like food etc. should not be covered by expenses in my view.