David Mellor, a prominent Cabinet member from the Thatcher and Major era, has blasted Sajid Javid’s call to double MPs’ salaries.
Former Health Secretary and Chancellor Sajid Javid used a speech yesterday to suggest the number of MPs should be cut in half, but those remaining should then get double the current £86,584 salary.
Mr Javid suggested such a hike in pay could attract a higher standard of parliamentarian, claiming those in positions with similar salaries – such as head teachers or GPs – are not attracted to the job of MP at the current level of pay.
However prominent Tory grandee David Mellor used a GMB appearance this morning to blast the suggestion, describing it as “back-of-the-envelope nonsense”.
“This is something it must have taken [Javid] all of 20 seconds to think up, and it’s not a serious contribution to thought.
“When I was first elected to Parliament in 1979 we were paid £1,750 a year, and if you look at the quality of the members of Parliament in Mrs Thatcher’s first term, and you look at the quality of members of Parliament now, I would bet the 1979 lot were a good deal better than this mob.”
Mr Mellor added that the proposal from Sajid Javid is “offensive”.
“I think of decent family people watching this programme, and they’re being told that MPs can’t thrive on £86,000 a year – and there’s all the expenses as well.”
He concluded “I actually have no sympathy whatsoever” with the proposals.
Speaking at the Institute for Government yesterday, Mr Javid explained his controversial reasoning: “One of the reasons I think either people leave or you’re not getting more diverse backgrounds of people in different professions as well wanting to join parliament, I think salary is an issue”.
“If people want to see your GPs or senior nurses or headteachers or an accountant give up their job to want to come into parliament they have to take a massive fall in their lifestyle to do it.
“A lot of people are not willing to do that. So you tend to get in parliament either really rich people who don’t need money and therefore they don’t care if their salary is £88,000 or £28,000.
“Or you will get people that were earning sort of £30,000 – £80,000 is a big jump but they might not come with the skills that parliament needs.”
Mr Javid also took a swipe at some of his own colleagues, criticising the quality of some ministers.
“There will be appointments of ministers that a prime minister may even know he’s probably not the best person to do that job, but I’ve got to appoint him”
“I do think there’s a problem with the talent of some ministers.”
