February 27 Letters: Change needed at Westminster to give MPs reality check

it is now obvious to me that Members of Parliament have been ripping all of us off, languishing in highly taxpayer-paid jobs which allow them take on other lucrative sidelines to fill their pockets, when all the time they claim they have been fighting to better the lives of the electorate.

The time has come for a new regime in Parliament, untainted by the old school of Cons and Labs and replaced by a revolution of sincere members of the minority parties who do care.

From: ME Wright, Grove Road, Harrogate.

Andrew Rosindell MP asks if a pregnant female MP could give the job her “full attention”.

Does he feel the same way about certain male MPs who seemingly spend time hawking themselves and their influence round for money?

A few pregnant MPs might inject a much-needed element of day-to-day reality into Westminster. Even more so if they are the sort who intend to be involved in the child’s rearing, rather than packing it off to prep school at the age of six months.

From: Tom Howley, Wetherby.

MPs who cannot live on £60,000 plus generous expenses, could be allowed to take up employment outside of their Parliamentary duties, but payment for the work should be at the minimum rate.

Encourage them to work in hospitals, supermarkets and call centres, where they will gain experience of how “normal” people live.

From: George Winn-Darley, Buttercrambe, York.

Are the Thirsk and Malton constituents aware that Anne McIntosh has a £40,000 incentive to stand as a candidate despite being defeated in last year’s selection ballot to be the Conservative candidate?

If she stands and is defeated she is entitled to Westminster’s “resettlement” package (the first £30,000 tax-free).

She would however, still get her £34,000 per annum UK MP’s pension plus £26,000 per annum from her MEP pension plus her normal state pension of £5,881.

It would be surprising if she had not taken advantage of the Voluntary European Parliament expenses scheme, as most MEPs do. As she served two terms as an MEP this would be worth about £30,000 per year. This would take her annual pension to about £95,000 and yet her salary as an MP and chair of a select committee is £81,000. She will be better off retired than working.