is it allowed for someone to be a member of parliament and be a member of the scottish parliament/executive at the same time
2007-03-17 01:59:01 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Government
It may very well be the case that a person can hold down both jobs - first as an MP at Westminster and second as a Member of the Scottish Parliament. Many MPs at Westminster hold down more than just the one job of being an MP. Over 60% of Westminster MPs are lawyers. This means they spend most of their time in chambers and probably only come to the House of Commons for important debates or votes.
These same MPs may also be holding down jobs as company directors, chairmen or women and etc.
Personally, I think it is time for a people's jury to look at how much MPs are paid and offset what we the people pay, against their existing earnings. For example, a people's jury could set a salary of say £75,000 + £20,000 expenses for an MP [basic]. This total sum = £95,000. If an MP already earns say £50,000 from another job, this sum should then be deducted [means tested] from his MPs salary, giving him/her an MP's income of £45,000.
Of course, since MPs get to vote on their own pay rise, they're not ever going to vote in favour of such a measure/move. That's why all pay and expenses should be dealt with by a people's jury. The people's jury should be selected at random from among the citizens of UK. They sit on the jury for a year and are paid a salary for doing so. This jury decides how much MPs are paid and will also vote on any Bill in the House of Commons which is undecided 50/50 - a rare event I know but it needs to be sorted when it happens.
In case you have not already heard, MPs have just recently voted themselves another increase in their expenses, giving them a further £10,000 each.
There is no other job I know of where you can be absent and not have to explain why and where you can vote for your own pay rise. This is no way to run a business, is it? In addition to all of this profligate spending of our money, MPs have the nerve to ask us to fund party politics in UK.
Absolutely not.
2007-03-17 03:59:21 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
When the Scottish Parliament was first ressurected there were a few MPs who became MSPs - But if I am correct in my thinking they had to 'stand down' from their Westminster seat at the next UK General Election.
2007-03-17 04:09:42 · answer #2 · answered by Rod Mac 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no, you can be one or the other.
2007-03-17 02:27:10 · answer #3 · answered by Jock 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋