Monday 22 October 2012

Of Course Our Politicians Deserve a Pay Rise!

If this government is to be believed, the country is in an economic mess because we employees have too many rights, disabled people have too many benefits and there's planning laws to prevent building on the green belt and the unregulated building of monstrous light-blocking, home extensions.

Then there's the fact we have far too many libraries for our country's level of literacy.

Nothing to do with the politicians and (as yet) unprosecuted bankers then...? Or that rather expensive war we've just had? Or the big corporations who make a mint out of Britain whilst hardly paying a penny in tax?
Or the refusal to stamp out health and benefits tourism to bring us in line with pretty well every other western country?

I really do resent the way these times are turning me into a political animal against my will, though I continue to have no party politics as such ('least of the evils' doesn't quite cut it for me). I just know injustice and hogwash when I see it.

Furthermore I've yet to see a single Tory action make a blind bit of difference to the economic situation in real terms. Where are the affordable business rates for shops? Where are the bank loans for small businesses? Where is the nationwide audit to find out what skills and services our nation is actually short of/which areas most need employment so efforts can be directed in the right places? There are only so many novelty shops full of pink fluffy nonsense that can be sustained.

I have no answers - the politicians are paid to come up with those. I am just a question machine. But let's keep on asking the questions until our 'public servants' are forced to come up with some acceptable answers and be accountable to their electorate as they should be. Plus if they want that 40% pay hike that is being bandied about, they need to earn it. I suggest the introduction of 'payment by results'.

As for the Andrew Mitchell 'Plebgate' affair, some of us were actually more bothered that this politician gave £16m of taxpayer's money (ie OUR money) to a Rwandan dictator mate for reasons, and presumably a backhander, known only to himself.

Or else, let's have a general strike so they listen.

5 comments:

Nota Bene said...

I'm told by 'someone who knows' that Mitchell is a nasty piece of work, so it was only a matter of time...

I rather like the idea of payment by results instead of payment for going round in ever decreasing circles..

broken biro said...

Why are millionaires on the cabinet even accepting ANY payment when other people are living hand to mouth - and doing their jobs better? How do they sleep?

Earnest Petrol said...

A question machine is the only thing to be... though asking why has always been a dangerous pastime.

The Sagittarian said...

Funny how the only time bosses agree to massive pay increases is when it is for themselves, the rest of the time they 'can't afford it'....

Marginalia said...

Spot on. Politics is in a parallel world. What matters is not what happening on the ground but in the aether, in the bloggersphere, the press and the policial micro-climate.

They are "not fit for purpose" a phrase they love to trot out about others. Cameron prettying himself in Brussels, playing the big man when he's a little boy with no idea what to do.

Thatcher at least knew what she wanted. This bunch of PPEs don't know the time of day.