Do you feel any sympathy for the MPs who lost their seats?

[poppet2]

On the other hand it could be argued that Cameron has hoodwinked the electorate, playing a long game using the SNP.

 

1. After the referendum stoke English nationalism

2. Provoke a reaction in Scotland causing a surge in Scottish nationalism

3. Have the Murdoch media stoke it further

4. Use fear of surging Scottish nationalism in the election campaign

 

Seems to anecdotal evidence coming out now that there was a strong switch to conservative at the last minute in response to this. Cameron was prepared immediately after the result with concessions to the Scots over devolution to try and put out a fire he knew he'd started.

 

Clever but very dangerous stuff.

 

I agree. Some say the Murdock press makes no difference and it is arrogant to think people can't make up their own minds and just believe the headlines. Well if that was the case, why do politicians work so hard to court Murdock, even Blair?

Edited May 9, 2015 by poppet2

[RiffRaff]

According to the Birmingham Mail :

 

If they lost their seat, they'll receive their final chunk of salary on the last working day of the month, which will be May 29 - but they are only paid for the period up to and including polling day, on May 7.

 

They’ll be eligible for a “resettlement” payment equal to one month’s salary for every year they have been an MP, up to a maximum of six months...so anyone who has been an MP for six years or longer will get £33,530

 

They can also claim any expenses they incurred up to polling day related to their work as an MP (eg, office costs or staffing costs).

And then they get a “winding up budget”, which allows them to claim expenses related to the cost of winding up their Parliamentary business for up to two months after polling day.

This includes staff salaries, office rent and travel costs - and the cost of cleaning out their offices, including moving equipment out.

The winding up budget is £53,950, or £57,150 for MPs representing London constituencies.

Former MPs can claim the cost of rent of a home or hotel accommodation for up to a maximum of two months after Polling Day while they wind up their parliamentary business. (This only applies to those who were eligible for accommodation costs while they were an MP.)

 

Edit : I trust that, when they decide to register at their local Job Centre, they will be expected to attend and sign on a daily basis?

Edited May 9, 2015 by RiffRaff

[Jonny5]

On the other hand it could be argued that Cameron has hoodwinked the electorate, playing a long game using the SNP.

 

1. After the referendum stoke English nationalism

2. Provoke a reaction in Scotland causing a surge in Scottish nationalism

3. Have the Murdoch media stoke it further

4. Use fear of surging Scottish nationalism in the election campaign

 

Seems to anecdotal evidence coming out now that there was a strong switch to conservative at the last minute in response to this. Cameron was prepared immediately after the result with concessions to the Scots over devolution to try and put out a fire he knew he'd started.

 

Clever but very dangerous stuff.

Tittle tattle.

 

Cameron won because the Lib Dems have lousy PR and Milliband and Balls were unelectable.

 

The sooner you reconcile yourself to this instead of inventing ever more outlandish theories the sooner you'll stop spamming the back yard with this stuff and became bit less distraught

[I1L2T3]

Tittle tattle.

 

Cameron won because the Lib Dems have lousy PR and Milliband and Balls were unelectable.

 

The sooner you reconcile yourself to this instead of inventing ever more outlandish theories the sooner you'll stop spamming the back yard with this stuff and became bit less distraught

 

I'm not distraught at all. Just trying to understand like many other people what the hell actually happened.

 

And nothing outlandish about it at all - being discussed quite actively in the media. Tory supporters on here have even kind of celebrated the strategy.

[Anna B]

I'm sure the tax free £35,000 MPs severence allowance, paid to those who lose their seat, will help soften the blow, allong with the £42,000 'winding up' allowance. Should tide them over for a week or two.

[ECCOnoob]

I'm sure the tax free £35,000 MPs severence allowance, paid to those who lose their seat, will help soften the blow, allong with the £42,000 'winding up' allowance. Should tide them over for a week or two.

 

ok , I will concede that £35k severance is a hell of an amount to receive but lets not pretend severance pay is a privilege just for MPs.

 

Lots of companies can and do offer a severance package to departing staff, particularly bigger firms seeking large reductions. Sometimes the package is a lesser amount but sometimes it could be way more than £35k particularly for high level staff and managerial staff. I know of one person who received over £60k from their departure from a well known retail company.

 

As for the winding up allowance, that is not for the individual pocket its for the OFFICE of the MP. That could be leases, fixtures, staffing costs and other expenses which would have to paid off as a result of a departure. - so no it wont as you say, "soften the blow".

 

I get the point you are trying to make but at least put some facts with it.

[-Boomer-]

No, you nail your colours to the mast and if things go wrong that's your own lookout

[Harrystottle]

I did feel a bit sorry for Charlie Kennedy. Had his troubles with the booze but always came across as a decent human being.

[I1L2T3]

I did feel a bit sorry for Charlie Kennedy. Had his troubles with the booze but always came across as a decent human being.

 

But then spent 5 years saying and doing nothing publicly to counter the damage his own party was doing in government. A lot of what the LibDems helped vote through was directly counter to his own social democrat beliefs.

 

Rightly punished IMO

[evil woman]

That is not healthy as MPs in that situation will never experience 'redundancy', something that the ordinary man goes through. Also, it has a tendency to make them quite arrogant, knowing they don't have to give their all, even as a constituency MP, with the knowledge they will automatically be re-elected just because they live in a constituency with a large majority.

 

I do feel sorry for the likes of Vince Cable and Simon Huges who London constituencies state were good hard working constituency MPs at a local level.

 

There have been several Labour MPs locally who have lost their seats, not through the ballot box, but because their faces didn't fit with the prevailing leadership of the party.