Why don't politicians get paid the minimum wage?

Question

If they think it is enough to live on, why don't they live on it?

Answer 1

Because the minimum wage is more than they deserve.
They say if you pay peanuts you get monkies. We pay them buckets of money but we still get monkies

Answer 2

The term professional politician is a disgrace, and this is the premise to the arguement that you won't be able to attract the big brains into politics, if it was low paid.

Some part of me thinks that people who really want to make a diference would do it for nothing anyway..but then in reality - the place would be full of toffs who don't need any money, while better driven penniless and poorer politicians - who have at least some grip on the realities of life - would have to jack it in too support their families, and do something else.

So a low paid parliment may seem a good idea - but it would ultimately eat itself, and throw us back to the times before the civil war.

Answer 3

First, not all politicians agree with the minimum wage, some would never have had it in the first place, and others would get rid of it if given the chance.

Second, you pay your politicians a decent amount of money for the work they do. As someone has mentioned before, they would be open to bribes if they got paid bugger all.

As for the amount of money they are paid, it is for the level of skill they have. Pay peanuts and you will not get the more able people trying to be politicians.

As for if they do no work or not, remember, if it was not for politicians, we would not have the NHS, free schools and the like.

I agree that some of them are to$5ers, but the alternative to them is to live in a dictatorship. Not something I am in favour of.

Answer 4

I'm not normally a defender of this government, but just remember that before they came to power there was no minimum wage at all (and it was strongly opposed by the Conservatives), so paying a wage of, say, £1 per hour would be perfectly legal. The minimum wage has to be one of this government's finest achievements.

Answer 5

I certainly agree with the notion that they are so far out of touch of the majority that they fool themselves into believing the minority that pay huge sums into their coffers are the ones that they should be pleasing. Some day, hopefully sooner rather than later, this greedy concept will backfire in some style.

If by getting paid on a pro-rata basis, dependant on the people and how they vote in local elections (I think local elections should be linked to the national representative rather than separate entities) then it may help those that hole themselves up in Westminster to understand who it is they are working for.

Answer 6

The problem is if you pay them too little, when some big company wants planning permission how easy do you think it would be to corrupt somebody on minimum wage?

Answer 7

In most of the countries politicians get high wages plus different protocol benefits

slatch
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Answer 8

If this government was paid by results you would be a millionaire, 'cos they would owe so much. Have you ever known a politician to pay aebt?

Answer 9

There are many groups associated with the Living Wage movement trying to address this situation. Check it out but there are too many organizations for me to list. Just click on Living Wage and you can choose.
To answer your question directly...They're power mad and the monies in lobbyists from Corporate America, kick-backs, and payola far exceeds what they do make.

Answer 10

Probably because they are so far up their own a*se they think they can do and pay what they like...also doesn't help that they set the Government spending policies so they will always come out on top, sad but true.. I agree though they should spend a couple of weeks on the minimum wage and see how they get on...

Answer 11

Why do most Courts only pay $20 bucks a day for jury duty . Try living on that .