Numbnuts Posted November 2, 2023 Share Posted November 2, 2023 17 minutes ago, Expat. said: Fekkin yes... Happy days. Watch the robbing so and so’s bang the leccie up to cancel it out . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A fool and his money..... Posted November 2, 2023 Share Posted November 2, 2023 In my opinion MHKs are drastically overpaid already. I think most of us agree that we have at least our fair share of useless politicians. I think that's the reason - the salary attracts too many of the wrong people for the wrong reasons. I would argue that the most important attribute a politician needs is a concern for the good of the people they represent, someone who wants to do some good for the island and its people. You can't buy that - it's not something that someone can develop if you pay them £70k per year- it needs to be something intrinsic, something that they want to do. According to government's own figures, the median wage on the island is around £35k, half that of an MHK. It's very simple as far as I'm concerned. If exactly half of our full time workforce can live on £35k or less, then so can our MHKs. There is absolutely no compelling reason to pay them any more. I certainly don't subscribe to the idea that paying more brings more talent to the job. What it does do is bring more greed to the job, and we've got more than enough greedy half-wits in the house as it is. Why not give it a try? £35k max from the next election. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Voice of Reason Posted November 2, 2023 Share Posted November 2, 2023 4 minutes ago, A fool and his money..... said: According to government's own figures, the median wage on the island is around £35k, half that of an MHK. It's very simple as far as I'm concerned. If exactly half of our full time workforce can live on £35k or less, then so can our MHKs. There is absolutely no compelling reason to pay them any more. Why not give it a try? £35k max from the next election. You don’t understand what median means. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Non-Believer Posted November 2, 2023 Share Posted November 2, 2023 54 minutes ago, A fool and his money..... said: I would argue that the most important attribute a politician needs is a concern for the good of the people they represent, someone who wants to do some good for the island and its people. If they do come into office with those noble intentions; it's quickly stamped out and eradicated by their own "old salt" colleagues and the civil service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Peters Posted November 2, 2023 Share Posted November 2, 2023 1 hour ago, A fool and his money..... said: In my opinion MHKs are drastically overpaid already. I think most of us agree that we have at least our fair share of useless politicians. I think that's the reason - the salary attracts too many of the wrong people for the wrong reasons. I would argue that the most important attribute a politician needs is a concern for the good of the people they represent, someone who wants to do some good for the island and its people. You can't buy that - it's not something that someone can develop if you pay them £70k per year- it needs to be something intrinsic, something that they want to do. According to government's own figures, the median wage on the island is around £35k, half that of an MHK. It's very simple as far as I'm concerned. If exactly half of our full time workforce can live on £35k or less, then so can our MHKs. There is absolutely no compelling reason to pay them any more. I certainly don't subscribe to the idea that paying more brings more talent to the job. What it does do is bring more greed to the job, and we've got more than enough greedy half-wits in the house as it is. Why not give it a try? £35k max from the next election. I worked out in my head earlier (before responding to a FB post) that I currently have around 8 part-time jobs as an MHK, so your desire to cut my salary by 50% has fallen on deaf ears. Yes, the pay is attractive, but it's not what motivates most to stand. You could double or halve it and you would probably get similar candidates - i.e. people prepared to do their best for others and attract daily vilification from armchair warriors. But you can't halve mine, I need a 500bhp V8 before I'm too old. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.K. Posted November 2, 2023 Share Posted November 2, 2023 Fair play Stu. However I wonder what answer I would come up with if I worked out the hourly rate...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolley Posted November 2, 2023 Share Posted November 2, 2023 13 hours ago, Ringy Rose said: There’s a very obvious reason why power-sharing in Northern Ireland requires cross-community consensus, a super-majority. And those same reasons apply in most circumstances. But I appreciate that, as a die-hard Brexitist, you won’t like the idea of a supermajority. A supermajority referendum is an illusion, and at best a temporary sicking plaster. The result (say 59% to 41% and 41% carries the day) clearly has no legitimacy, and it will be a running sore until the matter is readdressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolley Posted November 2, 2023 Share Posted November 2, 2023 2 hours ago, Expat. said: Fekkin yes... Fekkin old chuffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Mexico Posted November 2, 2023 Share Posted November 2, 2023 1 hour ago, The Voice of Reason said: You don’t understand what median means. No, that's exactly what median means and it was almost exactly £35,000 (for full-time workers) in the 2022 Earnings Survey. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A fool and his money..... Posted November 2, 2023 Share Posted November 2, 2023 1 hour ago, The Voice of Reason said: You don’t understand what median means. Oh really? What leads you to that conclusion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Voice of Reason Posted November 3, 2023 Share Posted November 3, 2023 7 hours ago, A fool and his money..... said: Oh really? What leads you to that conclusion? This:- It's very simple as far as I'm concerned. If exactly half of our full time workforce can live on £35k or less, then so can our MHKs. Respectfully suggest you Google “ median average “ to see how it is calculated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Voice of Reason Posted November 3, 2023 Share Posted November 3, 2023 This may also help:- While the mean is the average of all the data values, the median is the "average" of just the one or two observations in the very middle of the data. Thus, in situations where there are no extreme observations, the median is often less accurate than the mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyDave Posted November 3, 2023 Share Posted November 3, 2023 8 hours ago, P.K. said: Fair play Stu. However I wonder what answer I would come up with if I worked out the hourly rate...? Are you going to do an overtime rate for the time outside of normal working hours? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.K. Posted November 3, 2023 Share Posted November 3, 2023 56 minutes ago, CrazyDave said: Are you going to do an overtime rate for the time outside of normal working hours? Now you're having a laugh! If I did that they'll just start claiming it for "travel time" etc whilst jetting off on pointless jollies to puff their egos... I suppose a "payrise" means they've run out of allowances to fold in... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyDave Posted November 3, 2023 Share Posted November 3, 2023 4 minutes ago, P.K. said: Now you're having a laugh! If I did that they'll just start claiming it for "travel time" etc whilst jetting off on pointless jollies to puff their egos... I suppose a "payrise" means they've run out of allowances to fold in... Without going into detail I know someone who has had a lot of help with an issue from his own MHK lately. My friend works normal office hours. Every phone call and meeting with his MHK has been out of normal hours. Just saying. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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