One MP anonymously claimed their hefty salary from Parliament was not enough to sustain their family – and no one extended their sympathies.
Speaking to the Financial Times, the MP said: “There’s no way I could be an MP without outside interests. My wife works full time, I’ve got kids and need the money for childcare.”
The claim followed an ongoing row over MPs taking second jobs outside of the Commons, and fears that this could create a conflict of interest and lead to breaches of the lobbying rules.
Owen Paterson, a Tory MP who resigned last week, was at the centre of this debate after he was found guilty of lobbying on behalf of two companies which paid him as a consultant.
As the public now examine why MPs even have secondary roles, people are pondering whether it should be allowed at all – leading some Parliamentarians to claim their current salary of £81,932 is not enough on its own.
Last month, Worthing West Tory MP Sir Peter Bottomley said MPs’ salaries are “grim” and that it was “desperately difficult” for Parliamentarians to survive on such wages – only to be heavily criticised for saying so, especially as the average UK salary is £31,461.
MPs can also claim expenses to cover the costs of running an office, employing staff, having somewhere to live in London or their constituency and travelling between Westminster and their constituency.
So it’s no surprise that these new comments from an anonymous Parliamentarian prompted a similar wave of frustration.
Here are some of the most scathing responses shared on Twitter.